You are about to learn who Jakob Butturff was, why bowling fans and fellow pros are flooding social media with tributes to him right now, and what actually happened this week. He was one of the sport’s most recognizable stars, and his sudden death has shaken the entire bowling community.
Background: Who Was Jakob Butturff?
Jakob Butturff was a left-handed professional ten-pin bowler who spent more than a decade competing on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He was known for a distinctive corkscrew release, a delivery style made possible by unusually flexible joints, which let him spin the ball in ways most competitors couldn’t match. That signature style made him one of the most watchable players in the sport.
People are searching his name right now for one reason: news broke this week that he died unexpectedly. Tributes from PBA leadership, fellow bowlers, and bowling organizations have been pouring in since, which is why so many fans are looking for a full picture of who he was and what he accomplished.
Latest Update
Jakob Butturff died unexpectedly on July 31, 2026, at age 32. The Professional Bowlers Association confirmed his death in an official release, calling him “one of the most talented bowlers in the world” and praising both his skill and his character. No official cause of death has been released by the PBA or his family as of this date.
💬 Why this matters: Several social media posts have claimed Butturff suffered a heart attack, but this has not been confirmed by his family, the PBA, or any medical or official source. Until an official statement is released, that detail should be treated as unverified.
Butturff had not publicly disclosed any health issues before his death. His passing came as a shock to the bowling world, since he was still an active competitor and had just signed a new sponsorship deal with Hammer Bowling earlier in 2026. Tributes have come from PBA Commissioner Tom Clark, fellow pros EJ Tackett and Jason Belmonte, and organizations including the Mesa Metro USBC Association.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Butturff’s early years were split across a few places. Reporting from the PBA and news outlets says he was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and also spent time in the Phoenix, Arizona area and in Binghamton, New York, though some reference sources instead list his birthplace as Chandler, Arizona. Because these sources disagree, both should be treated as possibilities rather than a single confirmed fact. He attended Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada, before later living in Tempe, Arizona, which his Team USA bio listed as his hometown.
His mother, Bridget Miyoko Miller, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in the summer of 2019 and died on November 2, 2020, at age 52, with her family by her side. His father, John Butturff, survives him. He was an only child.
Career Path
Butturff joined the PBA in 2015 and bowled mostly on the PBA Regional Tour that first year. His breakout came in 2016, when he won his first two PBA Tour titles and set a record with nine PBA Regional Tour titles in a single year, earning him both West Region and Northwest Region Player of the Year honors. He picked up additional Northwest Region Player of the Year awards in 2017 and 2018.
His best individual season came in 2019. He won the PBA Oklahoma Open, then captured his first major title at the USBC Masters, defeating Mykel Holliman in the championship match. He added a third title that season at the Lubbock Sports Shootout and later won the $50,000 winner-take-all PBA Clash. He finished runner-up to Jason Belmonte in the 2019 PBA Player of the Year voting. In 2020, he rolled the 28th televised 300 game in PBA Tour history during the PBA Tour Finals. Over his career, he won eight PBA Tour titles, including one major, along with 27 PBA Regional Tour titles.
Internationally, Butturff represented Team USA seven times between 2017 and 2019. He won the 2017 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup and helped Team USA capture the 2017 World Bowling Championships team gold and the 2019 Weber Cup over Team Europe. At the 2019 Pan American Games, he won a silver medal in doubles with teammate Nick Pate and a bronze in singles, setting a Pan American Games six-game qualifying record twice in the same event.
Age
Jakob Butturff was 32 years old at the time of his death on July 31, 2026, having been born on April 28, 1994.
Religion
No public information confirms Jakob Butturff’s religious affiliation, so this detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Public reporting does not confirm whether Jakob Butturff was married or had a partner at the time of his death. Tributes from friends and colleagues have focused on his personality and career rather than personal relationship details.
Net Worth
One entertainment-focused biography site estimates his career bowling earnings at over $1 million across 214 tour events, though this figure comes from an outside aggregator rather than an official PBA or family source, so it should be treated as an unconfirmed estimate rather than a verified net worth.
Parents
His mother was Bridget Miyoko Miller, who died in 2020 after a battle with lung cancer. His father, John Butturff, is still living. He had no siblings.
Height
Sources list his height inconsistently, ranging from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches, so no single figure here is fully confirmed.
Education
Butturff attended Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada, and went on to Arizona State University. Details about whether he completed a degree have not been publicly confirmed.
Hometown/State of Origin
Reports place his upbringing in Las Vegas, Nevada, with time also spent in Arizona and New York. His official Team USA bio listed Tempe, Arizona, as his hometown.
Official Social Media
His profile through the PBA Tour, where his career statistics and tournament history are documented, can be found at pba.com.
✅ Quick fact check: Every claim above is drawn from official PBA statements or established sports news reporting. Where sources conflict, such as his exact birthplace or height, or where facts remain officially unconfirmed, such as his cause of death, this page says so directly.
Career Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Born on April 28 |
| 2015 | Joins the PBA, bowling mainly on the Regional Tour |
| 2016 | Wins first two PBA Tour titles and a record nine PBA Regional Tour titles |
| 2017 | Wins the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup and joins Team USA |
| 2019 | Wins his first major at the USBC Masters, plus two more PBA Tour titles and the PBA Clash |
| 2020 | Rolls the 28th televised 300 game in PBA Tour history; mother Bridget Miyoko Miller passes away |
| 2026 | Signs with Hammer Bowling; dies unexpectedly on July 31 at age 32 |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Jakob Butturff the bowler dead?
Yes. Jakob Butturff died unexpectedly on July 31, 2026, at age 32. His death was confirmed by the Professional Bowlers Association in an official statement.
What did Jakob Butturff die of?
An official cause of death has not been released by the PBA or his family as of August 1, 2026. Some social media posts have suggested a heart attack, but that has not been confirmed by any official source.
How many PBA titles did Jakob Butturff win?
He won eight PBA Tour titles, including one major at the 2019 USBC Masters, plus 27 PBA Regional Tour titles over the course of his career. He also represented Team USA seven times internationally.
How old was Jakob Butturff when he died?
He was 32 years old at the time of his death. He was born on April 28, 1994.
What was Jakob Butturff known for in bowling?
He was known for a distinctive corkscrew release, made possible by unusually flexible joints, which gave him an unusual amount of spin on the ball. That style, combined with eight PBA Tour titles, made him one of the sport’s most recognizable players.
Where was Jakob Butturff from?
Reporting places his upbringing mainly in Las Vegas, Nevada, with time also spent in Arizona and New York, though some reference sources list his birthplace as Chandler, Arizona. His Team USA bio listed Tempe, Arizona, as his hometown.
⚠️ A note on accuracy: As of this writing, Jakob Butturff’s official cause of death has not been confirmed, and several personal details, including his exact birthplace and height, differ across sources. This page notes those gaps honestly rather than filling them in with guesses.
Wrap-Up
Jakob Butturff built his reputation the hard way, grinding through the PBA Regional Tour before breaking out in 2016 and eventually claiming a major title at the USBC Masters. His corkscrew delivery made him instantly recognizable, and his run of Team USA appearances put him among the sport’s most accomplished international competitors during his era.
What makes this week so hard for the bowling community is how sudden his death was. He had just signed a new sponsorship, was still actively competing, and had shown no public signs of health trouble before he passed. That combination is a big part of why tributes from players like EJ Tackett and Jason Belmonte have felt so raw.
As more information becomes available about his cause of death or any memorial plans, this page will reflect only what’s been officially confirmed by the PBA or his family, not speculation from social media.
John Wood is the founder and lead editor of Biography Region. He researches and writes accurate, engaging biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, and public figures, delivering well-sourced, reader-focused content that informs and inspires.