"Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki, whose 113 worldwide victories are the most of any player from Japan, died Wednesday in his home country after a battle with colon cancer, the Japan Golf Tour said. He was 78. Ozaki was revered in Japan, a big hitter with a sense of style who won 94 times over 29 years on the Japan Golf Tour, the last one coming at the ANA Open when he was 55."
"He rose to No. 5 in the world ranking in 1996 at age 49. Ozaki often got overlooked for never winning outside Japan except for the New Zealand PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. "He is an indispensable, one-of-a-kind figure in discussing men's golf, both now and in the future," the tour said in a social media post."
"He played the Masters for the 19th and final time in 2000 when he was 53 and tied for 28th. Isao Aoki was the first Japanese player in the World Golf Hall of Fame, and Hideki Matsuyama became the first to win a major at the 2021 Masters. Both were inspired in some fashion by Ozaki, the pioneer in a nation now obsessed with golf."
Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki won 113 professional events worldwide and 94 times on the Japan Golf Tour across 29 years. He captured his final Japan Golf Tour victory at the ANA Open at age 55 and reached No. 5 in the world rankings in 1996 at age 49. He won outside Japan only at the New Zealand PGA Championship. Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. He competed in 49 majors, with his best finish three shots behind the 1989 U.S. Open winner. His influence helped inspire later Japanese stars such as Isao Aoki and Hideki Matsuyama.
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