Jumbo Ozaki, Japanese Golf Legend with 113 Victories, Passes Away

Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, Japanese Golf Legend, Passes Away

The golf world mourns the loss of Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, the Japanese golfer with the most worldwide victories, who passed away on Wednesday in his native country at the age of 78, after a battle with colon cancer. The news was confirmed by the Japan Golf Tour. Ozaki, an iconic figure in Japan, was renowned for his impressive game and style. He accumulated 94 victories on the Japan Golf Tour over 29 years, the last of which was at the ANA Open at the age of 55. In 1996, at the age of 49, Ozaki reached number 5 in the world ranking. Despite not having won outside of Japan, except at the New Zealand PGA Championship, his impact on golf was undeniable. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

“He is an indispensable and unique figure when talking about men’s golf, both now and in the future,” declared the Japan Golf Tour in a social media post.

Japan Golf Tour

Ozaki competed in 49 major tournaments, highlighting his performance at the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill, where he finished three strokes behind the winner. He participated in the Masters for the 19th and final time in the year 2000, finishing in 28th position. Isao Aoki was the first Japanese player in the World Golf Hall of Fame, and Hideki Matsuyama became the first to win a major at the 2021 Masters. Both were influenced in some way by Ozaki, a pioneer in a nation passionate about golf. Ozaki won the Japan Open five times and the Japan PGA Championship on six occasions. He topped the Japan Golf Tour money list a record 12 times, including five in a row from 1994 to 1998. He earned his last money title in 2002, at the age of 55. Upon being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ozaki expressed that his biggest regret was not having played more outside of Japan.

“But I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and I am extremely grateful that the voters thought I deserved this honor,” he stated upon being elected. He received 50% of the votes in the international vote.

Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki

Ozaki was considered the Arnold Palmer of golf in Japan, thanks to his powerful swing, charisma and style, often wearing silk shirts and loose pants. His talent was not limited to golf; he also played the guitar and had three songs that reached the charts in Japan. His first love was baseball, and he spent three years playing professionally before turning to golf. Ozaki traveled with an entourage when he played outside of Japan in the majors, usually renting a house and bringing a sushi chef so that his team would feel at home. I had two younger brothers who also played on the tour, Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet). Ozaki participated in the 1996 Presidents Cup, partnering with Vijay Singh to defeat the American duo of Fred Couples and Davis Love III. He qualified for the 1998 team, but decided not to participate in the trip to Australia, and his brother Joe played instead.