JAPANESE GOLF LEGEND MASASHI “JUMBO” OZAKI DIES AT 78

Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, the most prolific winner in Japanese golf history, died Wednesday in his home country after a battle with colon cancer, the Japan Golf Tour announced. He was 78.

Ozaki, revered in Japan, won 113 worldwide victories, the most of any player from Japan. His 94 wins on the Japan Golf Tour over 29 years included his last title at the 2002 ANA Open when he was 55. He rose to No. 5 in the world ranking in 1996 at age 49. While he often got overlooked for winning only once outside Japan at the New Zealand PGA Championship, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

The Japan Golf Tour said in a social media post, “He is an indispensable, one-of-a-kind figure in discussing men’s golf, both now and in the future.”

Ozaki competed in 49 majors, with his best finish coming at the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill where he finished three shots behind winner Curtis Strange. He played the Masters for the 19th and final time in 2000, tying for 28th.

A pioneer in a nation now obsessed with golf, Ozaki inspired later Japanese Hall of Famers like Isao Aoki and major winner Hideki Matsuyama. He won the Japan Open five times and the Japan PGA Championship six times, leading the Japan Golf Tour money list a record 12 times, including five consecutively from 1994 through 1998.

Upon his Hall of Fame election, Ozaki expressed a single regret: “But I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and am extremely grateful the voters thought I was worthy of this honor.” He received 50% of the vote on the International ballot.

With his powerful swing, charisma, and signature style of silk shirts and baggy pants, Ozaki was considered the Arnold Palmer of Japanese golf. His talents extended beyond the course; he played guitar and had three songs reach the Japanese pop charts.

His first love was baseball, and he pitched professionally for three years before turning to golf. That background influenced his teaching. Ryo Ishikawa, who won his first tour title at 15, spoke of Ozaki’s influence in a 2010 interview. “Jumbo used to be a baseball player, so he always tried to teach me the link from pitching or hitting to golf,” Ishikawa said. “Jumbo wanted me to hit the ball far.”

When playing majors outside Japan, Ozaki traveled with an entourage, often renting a house and bringing a sushi chef to make his group feel at home.

He is survived by two younger brothers, Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet), who also played on tour. Ozaki played in the 1996 Presidents Cup, partnering with Vijay Singh to beat Fred Couples and Davis Love III. He qualified again in 1998 but declined the trip to Australia, and his brother Joe played instead.