From wire reports
Randy Pedersen, among the most important professional bowling figures of the past 40 years, died Wednesday at the age of 64.
A cause of death has not been released.
“Randy was supremely talented in everything he did. Bowling, golf, comedy, broadcasting, anything. He was a force, a giant in sports and on TV,” said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. “He was our friend, our partner. Randy was our voice. He was my brother. I spoke with so many people today who loved him. There will never be another Randy Pedersen. Please hug the people you love.”
During his playing career, Pedersen won 13 PBA Tour titles with one major in the 1987 PBA National Championship.
He also won one PBA50 Tour title, which came in his first career PBA50 Tour title event.
Pedersen was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 2011 and the USBC Hall of Fame in 2025.
In 2001, Pedersen joined the broadcast booth where he began his second Hall of Fame career as the voice of the PBA.
Pedersen served as the PBA’s lead color analyst for 25 years, making him the longest-tenured broadcaster in PBA history.
His ability to quickly develop chemistry with a variety of play-by-play commentators fostered his historic longevity.
No matter who joined him in the booth — from Rob Stone and Dave Ryan, to Mike Jakubowski and Lon McEachern, to John Fanta and Dave LaMont — Pedersen entertained and educated bowling fans.
“Over the years, Randy became a mentor to me. He set the bar for how bowling should be delivered to an audience. He prepared for every broadcast, every week, like the professional he was,” Mike Flanagan, Inside Bowling CEO, said on Facebook. “He understood the sport, but more importantly, he understood how to make people care about it. There are countless people who fell in love with bowling because Randy Pedersen made it exciting, entertaining and fun to watch.
“He battled things that ultimately became too much for him, and I just wish he could have truly understood how deeply he was loved and how many lives he impacted.”
Pedersen called each of the PBA’s most iconic 21st century moments, including Kelly Kulick’s historic 2010 Tournament of Champions title, Pete Weber’s iconic 2012 U.S. Open title, and each of Jason Belmonte’s record major titles.
With his signature blend of charisma, humor, and analysis, Pedersen elevated professional bowing for more than a quarter century.
“Back in the spring of 2023, my bosses at Fox reached out and asked if I’d ever consider doing play-by-play for bowling. Admittedly, I had never thought about it, but I was always told by my parents to “say yes” to an opportunity! Additionally, my Grandpa Frank had done Bowling for Dollars at Buckeye Lanes back in the day. Without that “yes,” I wouldn’t have met Randy Pedersen and learned about what a special sport bowling is and the people in it. Randy is as much a part of the soul of bowling as anybody,” Fanta wrote on Facebook.
Pedersen shaped professional bowling coverage and fandom for 25 years with such great success that the next 25 years will be filled with broadcasters trying to replicate his brilliance and fans longing for his presence.
“I’ll miss his random calls asking funny questions. It always made me laugh because the first thing I’ll hear would be something like (in a terrible attempted Australian accent mind you), ‘Maaate…. Is it true kangaroos can’t bounce backwards? It’s Randy by the way.’ The funniest part though was he always made sure to tell me it was him… as if his accent was that good I wouldn’t be able to tell,” PBA pro Jason Belmonte wrote on Facebook.
“I just talked to him the other day telling him I’d be in Orlando to play golf with him in November. I played so many rounds with Randy in my life and each one had something new to laugh about. … I’m angry and upset but I have to be strong knowing his battle is over and he’s not hurting anymore. He didn’t get along with everyone but for some reason he chose me as a friend and it hurts to know he’s gone,” PBA pro Ronnie Russell wrote on Facebook. “He was a lost man and couldn’t find purpose in the end.”
Raised in southern California, Pedersen lived near Orlando, Fla. for the past 30 years.