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 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 of Japan came at the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship.
Most Successful Golfer in JGTO History
No golfer has dominated Japanese golf like Ozaki. With 94 career wins, he leads the all-time list by 43 over second-place Isao Aoki. He also claimed the JGTO 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 key role in popularizing the sport in Japan. While international victories were rare, he still made strong showings abroad, 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 also known for his powerful drives and all-or-nothing playing style, which made him a fan favorite in Japan. His path to golf was unconventional—he first rose to prominence as a baseball talent, winning a national high school championship and playing professionally for three years. He switched to golf at age 23 and won his first JGTO event in 1973 at 26. He continued winning until age 55, claiming his final title nearly three decades later.
Ozaki’s fame extended beyond golf. In the late 1980s, he launched a music career, releasing three singles that all charted in Japan.