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Jakob Butturff: Last Instagram post in focus after bowling star dies at 32; fans say ‘heart attack’ caused death
Bowling star Jakob Butturff died at the age of 32 and fans have flocked to his last Instagram post, speculating about a cause of death.
Bowling star Jakob Butturff died at the age of 32 on July 31, Friday. The news of his demise was confirmed by PBA, with commissioner Tom Clark issuing a statement.
“Jakob was 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. Jakob was kind, he was respectful, and he was a champion. He will never be forgotten. Our hearts are with all Butters touched on his one-of-a-kind journey,” he said.
A cause for Butturff's death was not officially disclosed but social media chatter claimed he'd died of a heart attack. HT.com could not independently verify this claim. Meanwhile, the sudden demise left the bowling world in shock and fans flocked to Butturff's latest Instagram post to offer condolences and discuss the possible circumstances of his passing.
Jakob Butturff's latest Instagram post in focus
Butturff's latest Instagram post came months back. It was made on May 28, 2026.
“A week that I can say that was a win not based on the finish, but by the confidence and determination moving forward. I led the Masters this week, which included breaking the 10 game qualifying record and coming up 4 pins shy of the 15 game record. Unfortunately matchplay didn’t pan out in my favor. Beat defending champion Gary Haines by getting fortunate in the 10th, then ran into a buzzsaw in Nate Garcia. Finished off the night by bowling a talented bowler in Garrett Meadows and it came down to the tenth but I came up just short,” Butturff wrote in the post.
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“Although I led and came up short in bracket matchplay, I can say that the confidence, after a miserable start to the year, has come back. I can’t thank all my sponsors and help enough this week. Onto Columbus,” he continued, adding a heart emoticon.
Fans flock to Jakob Butturff's Instagram post
Several people commented on Butturff's Instagram post after the news of his sudden death. “Rip what happened ?,” one asked, while another replied they also ‘wanted to know’ what led to the early demise.
Many speculated about the heart attack, though there's been no official confirmation of the same. One wrote “he had a heart attack sadly,” while another added “ppl are saying heart attack.”
Many RIP posts were also seen while one person wrote “Rest easy king.” Another lauded Butturff's achievements and said “Forever immortalized as a major champion, Rest easy butters”. One fan shared a personal connection and said “You inspired me to bowl. Rest easy.”
