Hall of Famer Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki dies at 78

Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki, one of only two Japanese golfers to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, died at 78 after a battle with colon cancer, the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) said on Wednesday.

Ozaki, whose 94 JGTO wins are the most of any player from Japan, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, seven years after Isao Aoki became the first Japanese player to achieve the feat.

Ozaki started his career as a baseball player, before switching to professional golf and winning his first Japan PGA Championship at 26.

“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.

Ozaki played in over 80 PGA Tour events including the 1996 Presidents Cup, and he rose to fifth in the world rankings in 1996 at the age of 49.

Though he did not win a title in the United States, Ozaki achieved top-10 finishes three times – at the Masters (T8, 1973), U.S. Open (T6, 1989) and The Open Championship (T10, 1979).

Ozaki won the Japan Open five times and the Japan PGA Championship six times, with his last appearance on the tour being at the 2002 ANA Open when he was 55.

His younger brothers Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet) also enjoyed successful careers in Japan and played limited schedules in the U.S.