Japanese golf icon Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki has died at 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 victory outside Japan came in 1972 at the New Zealand PGA Championship.
Most Successful Golfer in JGTO History
No golfer in Japanese history has matched Ozaki’s dominance. With 94 wins, he leads the all-time list by a wide margin—43 more than second-place Isao Aoki. He also claimed the JGTO Order of Merit a record 12 times. His success kept him in the world’s top 10 for a total of 200 weeks and played a major role in popularizing golf in Japan. Though 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 Japanese fans and made him a national celebrity.
Remarkably, Ozaki began his athletic career in baseball, 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, capturing his final title nearly three decades later.
Leveraging his fame, Ozaki also launched a brief music career in the late 1980s, releasing three singles that charted in Japan.