Shoji “Jumbo” Ozaki, the golfer with the most wins on the Japan Golf Tour, died on Wednesday at the age of 78. According to reports in his home country of Japan, the cause of death was colorectal cancer.
Ozaki won the first of 94 titles at the Japan Circuit in 1973, including six PGA Championships and five Japan Open titles. His last win came in 2002 at age 55, beating Sam Snead’s PGA Tour record by three years. He has topped the money rankings in Japan 12 times, including five times in a row since 1994.
advertisement
Ozaki spent more than 200 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings, peaking at No. 5, was a member of the international team at the 1996 Presidents Cup, and twice represented Japan at the World Cup (1974, 1988).
Japan’s “Jumbo” Shoji Ozaki will tee off first at Pinehurst No. 2. Ozaki teed off in the first group at the 1999 U.S. Open Championship.
He didn’t play much outside of Japan, starting his career in just 96 games on the PGA Tour, with a career best of T-4 at Memorial in 1993. He is the first Japanese player to rank in the top 10 at the Masters. When Ozaki traveled outside of his hometown, he usually rented a house and brought a sushi chef with him so he and his entourage could feel at home.
“My only regret is not playing more outside of Japan,” said Ozaki, who was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 and whose only win outside Japan was at the 1972 New Zealand PGA. “But I have dedicated my life to Japanese golf, so I am very grateful that the voters thought I deserved this honor.”
advertisement
Mr. Ozaki was born on January 24, 1947 in Tokushima Prefecture. In 1964, as the ace pitcher, he led his team to victory in the Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament and became a star high school baseball player. As a professional player, he played for three years as a pitcher and outfielder for the Nishitetsu Lions. However, at the age of 23, he gave up baseball and focused on golf.
Ozaki became the Babe Ruth of Japanese golf with his powerful strokes, combining his winning style with the charisma of Arnold Palmer. Ozaki, known for his colorful attire featuring baggy pants and loose-fitting shirts, popularized the game to new heights in Japan and Asia, giving it crossover appeal in pop culture. He was also a singer and guitarist, and had three singles reach number one on the Japanese charts in the late 1980s.
Younger brothers Naomichi (Joe) and Takeo (Jett) also had successful careers in Japan and played limited schedules in the United States.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Jumbo Ozaki passes away: The larger-than-life Japanese golf star dies at age 78
