Japanese golf icon Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki has passed away at 78. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki died on Tuesday at the age of 78 after battling colon cancer. He holds the record for most wins on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) with 94 victories, including five Japan Open titles and six Japan PGA Championships. Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. His only win outside of Japan came at the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship.
Most Successful Golfer in JGTO History
No golfer has dominated Japanese golf like Ozaki. His 94 JGTO wins are 43 more than second-place Isao Aoki, and he claimed the tour’s Order of Merit a record 12 times. Thanks to his domestic success, Ozaki spent 200 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking and played a major role in popularizing golf in Japan. Though his international victories were limited, he performed well on the global stage, finishing in the top 10 at the 1973 Masters, 1989 U.S. Open, and 1979 Open Championship.
A Unique Life On and Off the Course
Nicknamed ‘Jumbo’ for his 1.81m height and 90kg frame, Ozaki was known for his powerful drives and all-or-nothing playing style, which made him a beloved figure in Japan. His path to golf was unconventional—he was a promising baseball player, winning a national high school championship and playing 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, when he claimed his final tour title.
Ozaki also ventured into music in the late 1980s, releasing three singles that all charted in Japan, further cementing his status as a cultural icon.