Pro Bowling Champion Jakob Butturff Dies Unexpectedly at 32

The bowling world is in shock. Eight-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion Jakob Butturff died unexpectedly on Friday, July 31. He was 32.

The PBA announced his passing but did not disclose a cause of death. Commissioner Tom Clark remembered him as “one of the most unique players in PBA history”. “Fans marveled at his delivery, as he rode a wave of strikes into becoming a top player in the sport, capable of winning at any time, in any event,” Clark said. “Jakob was kind, he was respectful, and he was a champion. He will never be forgotten”.

Butturff’s breakout came in 2016 when he won his first two PBA Tour titles and dominated the Regional Tour, winning a record nine titles. He went on to amass 27 PBA Regional Tour titles and was named Northwest Region Player of the Year three straight years. In 2019, he won his lone major at the USBC Masters, finished runner-up in the PBA World Championship, and was second in Player of the Year voting. He was a seven-time Team USA member, won the 2017 QubicaAMF World Cup, and bowled the 28th televised 300 game in PBA history. Fellow bowler EJ Tackett called the loss “soul crushing”.