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Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, arguably the greatest Japanese golfer of all time, died on Tuesday at the age of 78 after battling colon cancer.
Ozaki won 113 tournaments worldwide, 94 of them on the Japan Golf Tour, and became an inspiration for 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama.
Ozaki became a regular at Augusta National Golf Club in 1972, but he did not compete there from 1980 to 1987.
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Jumbo Ozaki watches his shot from the tee during the 1998 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in April 1998 in Augusta, Georgia. (Augusta National/Getty Images)
Of his 49 major championship appearances, 19 were at the Masters, and his best finish came in 1973 when he tied for eighth.
Ozaki also tied for 10th at the 1979 Open Championship and tied for sixth at the 1989 US Open.
He rose to No. 5 in the world rankings in 1996 at the age of 49 and spent over 200 consecutive weeks in the top 10. Ozaki was often overlooked for never winning outside of Japan, except for the New Zealand PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jumbo Ozaki hits the tee box in front of a large gallery during the 1990 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in April 1990 in Augusta, Georgia. (Augusta National/Getty Images)
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“He is an indispensable, singular figure in discussing men’s golf, both now and in the future,” the tour said in a social media post.
Ozaki won the Japan Open five times and the Japan PGA Championship six times. He led the Japan Golf Tour money list a record 12 times, including five in a row from 1994 to 1998. He won his last money title in 2002, when he was 55.
Jumbo Ozaki of Japan lines up his putt on the first green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, (David Cannon/ALLSPORT)
Playing in the 1996 Presidents Cup, Ozaki partnered with Vijay Singh to beat the American duo of Fred Couples and Davis Love III. He qualified for the team in 1998 but decided against the trip to Australia and his brother Joe played instead.
