Jumbo Ozaki, the most successful player in the history of the Japanese progressional golf tour, passed away in December, aged 78.
Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, the winningest Japanese golf professional in history, passed away on December 23 at the age of 78.
Nicknamed for his physical presence and length off the tee, Ozaki amassed 94 career victories on the Japan Golf Tour – 43 more than his closest rival Isao Aoki – over a period spanning four decades, with his first win coming in 1973, his last in 2002 at the age of 55.
Included is his 94 wins on home soil were six Japan PGA Championships and five Japan Open titles, while Ozaki also led the Tour in earnings a record 12 times, highlighted by a five-year run from 1994-1998.
While only playing a limited schedule away from his homeland, Ozaki did compete in more than 80 PGA TOUR events, and was a member of the International Team at the 1996 Presidents Cup.
Amongst his victories abroad were four Asian Tour titles, as well as the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship, where Ozaki would finish seven strokes clear of runner-up, Kiwi legend Bob Charles.
His best finishes in major championships included a tie for eighth at the 1973 Masters, a 10th placing at the 1979 Open Championship and tie for sixth at the 1989 US Open.
A larger-than-life figure in his home country and Ozaki branched out to become a recording artist, with three singles reaching the Japanese pop charts in the late ‘80s. His two younger brothers, Naomichi (“Joe”) and Tateo (“Jet”), were successful in their own right, finishing among the JGTO’s all-time money winners.
Born on January 24, 1947, in Tokushima, Jumbo was an outstanding baseball pitcher, playing professionally for three years. He switched to golf and in 1973 and at the age of 26, won his first JGTO event.
Ozaki, who was ranked among the top 10 on the Official World Golf Ranking for nearly 200 weeks, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
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