Japanese golf icon Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki has died at age 78. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki passed away on Tuesday at the age of 78 due to colon cancer. Ozaki claimed a record 94 victories on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), including five Japan Open titles and six Japan PGA Championships. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. His only win outside Japan came in 1972 at the New Zealand PGA Championship.
JGTO’s Most Successful Golfer
No golfer in Japanese history has matched Ozaki’s dominance. With 94 career wins, he stands 43 victories ahead of second-place Isao Aoki. He also won the JGTO Order of Merit a record 12 times. Thanks to his domestic success, Ozaki spent a total of 200 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking and played a pivotal role in popularizing golf in Japan. While his international wins were limited, he still posted top-10 finishes at the 1973 Masters, 1989 U.S. Open, and 1979 Open Championship.
A Unique Life On and Off the Course
Nicknamed ‘Jumbo’ for his 1.81-meter, 90-kilogram frame and powerful drives, Ozaki captivated Japanese fans with his all-or-nothing playing style. He became a household name in Japan, not just for his golf but also for his vibrant personality.
Ozaki’s path to golf was unconventional. Initially a promising baseball talent, he won a national high school championship and played professionally for three years before switching to golf at age 23. He won his first JGTO event in 1973 at 26 and continued winning until age 55, when he claimed his final title nearly three decades later.
In the late 1980s, Ozaki leveraged his fame to launch a music career, releasing three singles that all charted in Japan.