Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki, Japanese golfer who won 113 tournaments, dies at 78

Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, a World Golf Hall of Famer, has died at the age of 78 in his home country of Japan. Ozaki died due to complications from colon cancer, according to The Associated Press.

Ozaki won 113 professional tournaments during his career, the most of any Japanese golfer in history. He was seen as the Arnold Palmer of Japan, per the AP, winning 94 titles on the Japan Golf Tour over 29 years. His last win on the Japanese tour came in 2002, when he was 55 years old.

Earning the nickname “Jumbo” for his long drives and outgoing style, Ozaki’s first sporting pursuits came in baseball. He was a star in high school as an outfielder and pitcher, before going pro with the Nishitetsu Lions from 1965-67. In 1970, when he was 23, Ozaki elected to enter the professional golf ranks and won the Japan Pro Golf Championship just one year later.

His highest world ranking was No. 5 in 1996. The only title he ever won outside of Japan was a 1972 victory at the New Zealand PGA Tournament. Ozaki wasn’t a frequent participant on the PGA Tour, making just 96 total appearances between 1972 and 2000.

Ozaki did have a number of strong finishes in major tournaments. The longtime pro participated in 49 majors, including 19 Masters, with his best finish coming at the 1989 U.S. Open (t-6th). He also finished eighth at the 1973 Masters.

In 2011, Ozaki was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame. At his induction ceremony, he said he regretted not playing more outside of Japan.

“I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and am extremely grateful the voters thought I was worthy of this honor,” Ozaki said.

Ozaki’s fame and the comparisons to Palmer extended beyond golf into popular culture. A 1989 video game titled “Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf” was released as “Naomichi Ozaki Super Masters” in Japan. He also took up music at one point, according to the World Golf Hall of Fame, recording three songs that charted in Japan.

Jumbo’s brothers, Tateo “Jet” Ozaki and Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki, were also professional golfers, both winning tournaments on the Japan Tour.

As late as 2019, when he was 73, Ozaki made appearances on the Japan Tour. He participated in six tournaments that year.