Masashi Ozaki, considered Japan’s greatest golfer, has died of cancer. He was 78 years old.
Often nicknamed “Jumbo” because of his length off the tee, Ozaki played professional baseball in his late teens. However, he eventually made the transition to golf, turning professional at age 23 and winning the Japan PGA Championship the following season.
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It would prove to be an auspicious start to a prosperous career, with Ozaki winning a record 94 times on the Japan Golf Tour. He has topped the tour charts 12 times, including at age 51. Ozaki never won in the United States, although he competed in 19 Masters (highlighted by a T-8 in 1973) and 13 US Opens (his best finish was a T-6 in 1989). He represented the international team at the 1996 Presidents Cup.
Ozaki reached fifth place in the Official World Golf Ranking. He finished his career with 114 victories, all in Japan except a New Zealand championship in the 1970s, and was elected in 2011 to the World Golf Hall of Fame. He and Isao Aoki are the only men of Japanese ancestry currently in the Hall of Fame.
“I am very happy, very honored and I appreciate everyone who has supported me since I turned professional in 1970,” Ozaki said upon his election to the Hall of Fame. “My only regret is not playing more outside of Japan, but I have dedicated my life to Japanese golf and I am extremely grateful that the voters thought I was worthy of this honor.”
