Randy Pedersen, the Hall of Fame bowler who became one of the most recognizable voices in professional bowling, has died at 64.
The Professional Bowlers Association announced that Pedersen died Wednesday, Sept. 16, calling him one of the most important figures in the sport over the past four decades. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Pedersen enjoyed an accomplished career both on the lanes and behind the microphone.
He won 13 PBA Tour titles, beginning with the 1986 AC-Delco Classic in Union City, California. His biggest victory came one year later when he captured the 1987 PBA National Championship in Toledo, Ohio, defeating future Hall of Famers along the way.
His final regular PBA Tour victory came at the 2002 PBA Pepsi Open in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He later added a PBA50 Tour title in 2013.
Pedersen was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 2011 and the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 2025 in recognition of his elite performance on the lanes.
But for an entire generation of fans, Pedersen may have been even more familiar from television.
He joined the broadcast booth in 2001 and spent 25 years as the PBA’s lead color analyst, making him the longest-tenured broadcaster in the association’s history.
Over the years, Pedersen worked alongside broadcasters including Rob Stone, Dave Ryan, Lon McEachern and John Fanta while calling some of bowling’s most memorable modern moments.
Those included Kelly Kulick’s historic Tournament of Champions victory in 2010, Pete Weber’s unforgettable 2012 U.S. Open win and Jason Belmonte’s record-setting run of major championships.
PBA Commissioner Tom Clark remembered Pedersen as someone whose talents stretched well beyond bowling.
“Randy was supremely talented in everything he did,” Clark said, describing him as a major force in sports and television.
“He was our voice,” Clark added. “There will never be another Randy Pedersen.”
Former professional bowler and coach Bob Learn Jr. also shared memories of Pedersen, recalling his humor and personality on tour.
“Everyone on tour has a story to tell about Randy, as he always had something funny to say,” Learn wrote in a Facebook tribute.
Bowling writer Lucas Wiseman called Pedersen “an absolute legend in our sport” and said it had been an honor to know him.
Wiseman also encouraged anyone struggling personally to reach out for help and shared the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number. However, neither the PBA nor Pedersen’s family has publicly linked his death to suicide or disclosed an official cause of death.
Pedersen’s career numbers alone made him one of the sport’s greats.
The USBC notes that he was a three-time Bowlers Journal First Team All-American and was ranked No. 35 on the PBA’s list of the 50 greatest players in its history.
Yet his second career in television may ultimately be just as important to his legacy.
For 25 years, his humor, enthusiasm and knowledge helped make professional bowling accessible to viewers who might never have stepped onto a PBA lane themselves.
The PBA said Pedersen’s influence was so significant that future broadcasters will spend years trying to match what he brought to the booth.
He had lived near Orlando, Florida, for roughly three decades after growing up in Southern California.
Pedersen leaves behind a rare legacy as both a Hall of Fame competitor and the longtime voice of the sport he helped bring into American homes.