Ozaki was revered in Japan, a big hitter with a sense of style who won 94 times in 29 years on the Japan Golf Tour, the last coming at the ANA Open in 2002 when he was 55.
He rose to number 5 in the world rankings in 1996 at the age of 49. Ozaki was often overlooked because he had never won outside Japan, except in the New Zealand PGA Championship. In 2011 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
“He is an indispensable, unique figure in the discussion of men’s golf, both now and in the future,” the tour said in a social media post.
Ozaki competed in 49 majors, his best finish coming at the 1989 US Open at Oak Hill, when he finished three shots behind Curtis Strange. 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 way by Ozaki, the 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 twelve times, including five in a row from 1994 to 1998. He won his last money title in 2002, when he was 55.
When he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ozaki said his only regret was not playing more outside of Japan.
“But I have dedicated my life to Japanese golf and am extremely grateful that voters felt I was worthy of this honor,” he said upon his election. He received 50% of the votes in the international vote.
Ozaki was seen as the Arnold Palmer of golf in Japan with his powerful swing, charisma and sense of style, often dressed in silk shirts and wide trousers. And his skills weren’t just limited to golf. He played guitar and helped three songs reach the charts in Japan, according to the Hall of Fame.
His first love was baseball, and he spent three years as a professional pitcher before turning to golf. That became clear when Ryo Ishikawa, who won his first Japan Golf Tour title at the age of 15, spoke about Ozaki’s influence. Ishikawa said he would visit Ozaki about 10 times a year to get advice.
“Jumbo used to be a baseball player, so he always tried to teach me the connection between pitching or hitting and golf,” Ishikawa said in a 2010 interview with The Associated Press. “Jumbo wanted me to hit the ball far.”
Ozaki traveled with an entourage when he played in the majors outside Japan, usually renting a house and hiring a sushi chef so his people would feel at home.
He has two younger brothers who also played on tour, Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet).
Ozaki played in the 1996 Presidents Cup, teaming with Vijay Singh to defeat American duo Fred Couples and Davis Love III. He qualified for the 1998 team but decided not to make the trip to Australia, and his brother Joe played instead.
#Masashi #Jumbo #Ozaki #Japans #winningest #player #dies #cancer #age