Summary
Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, who held the world record of 113 victories, died Wednesday in Japan after a battle with colon cancer. He was 78. In Japan, Ozaki was a highly respected figure, known for his powerful swing and unique style. During his 29 years on the Japan Golf Tour, he achieved 94 victories, his last being at the 2002 ANA Open at the age of 55. In 1996, he reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world at the age of 49.
He was often overlooked because he hadn't won outside of Japan, except for the New Zealand PGA Championship. In 2011, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. “He is an indispensable and unique figure in the discussion of men's golf, both now and in the future,” the tour commented in a social media post.
Ozaki participated in 49 major tournaments, his best performance being at the 1989 US Open, where he finished three strokes behind Curtis Strange. His last appearance at the Masters was in 2000, when he was 53 years old, finishing in 28th place.
Key details
Isao Aoki was the first Japanese player inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Hideki Matsuyama became the first to win a major at the 2021 Masters. Both were inspired by Ozaki, a pioneer in a country now obsessed with golf.
Ozaki won the Japan Open five times and the Japan PGA Championship six times. He topped the Japan Golf Tour money list 12 times, including five consecutive years from 1994 to 1998. His last money title came in 2002, at the age of 55.
Upon being inducted into the Hall of Fame, he expressed his only regret for not having played more outside of Japan. “I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and I am extremely grateful that the voters felt I deserved this honor,” he commented after his election, where he received 50% of the votes on the international ballot.
In Japan, Ozaki was compared to Arnold Palmer for his powerful swing, charisma, and style, frequently wearing silk shirts and baggy trousers. In addition to his golfing prowess, he played guitar and had three songs that charted in Japan. His first love was baseball, a sport he played professionally for three years before turning to golf.
Statements and context
Ryo Ishikawa, who won his first Japan Golf Tour title at age 15, mentioned Ozaki's influence, noting that he visited him about ten times a year for advice. "Jumbo used to be a baseball player, so he was always trying to teach me the connection between pitching or batting and golf," Ishikawa said in a 2010 interview.
When playing outside of Japan, Ozaki traveled with a group, renting houses and bringing along a sushi chef to make his team feel at home. He had two younger brothers, Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet), who also played on the tour.
He participated in the 1996 Presidents Cup, where he partnered with Vijay Singh and they defeated the American duo of Fred Couples and Davis Love III. Although he qualified for the 1998 team, he decided not to travel to Australia, and his brother Joe replaced him.
