Japanese golf icon Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki has died at the age of 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 after battling 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 international win came at the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship.
JGTO’s Most Successful Golfer
No golfer in Japanese history has matched Ozaki’s dominance. His 94 JGTO wins are 43 more than second-place Isao Aoki. He also won the Japan Tour’s Order of Merit 12 times, another record. Thanks to his domestic success, Ozaki spent 200 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking and played a key role in popularizing golf in Japan. While his international wins were limited, he 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 1.81m height and 90kg frame, Ozaki was known for his powerful drives and all-or-nothing playing style, which captivated fans across 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 his final tour victory at age 55.
Beyond golf, Ozaki was a cultural icon in Japan. In the late 1980s, he launched a brief music career, releasing three singles that all charted in Japan.