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 colorectal cancer. Ozaki won a record 94 tournaments 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 at the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship.
The Most Successful Golfer in JGTO History
No golfer in Japanese history has been as dominant as Ozaki. With 94 career victories, he leads the JGTO all-time wins list by a staggering 43 titles over second-place Isao Aoki. He also claimed the tour’s Order of Merit a record 12 times. Thanks to his domestic success, Ozaki spent 200 weeks ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking and played a pivotal role in popularizing the sport in Japan. While his international wins were limited, he posted top-10 finishes at the 1973 Masters, the 1989 U.S. Open, and the 1979 Open Championship.
A Unique Life On and Off the Course
Nicknamed ‘Jumbo’ for his 1.81-meter height and 90kg frame, Ozaki was known for his powerful drives and all-or-nothing playing style that captivated Japanese fans. His journey to golf was unconventional—he was a promising baseball talent who 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 age 26 and continued winning until age 55, capturing his final title 29 years later.
Ozaki’s fame extended beyond golf. In the late 1980s, he launched a brief music career, releasing three singles that all charted in Japan.