Former baseball player who became a Japanese pop star after winning a record number of titles on the Japanese circuit, Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki has died. He who regretted not having played more abroad will forever remain the hero who brought golf into the daily lives of the Japanese.
The greatest legend of Japanese golf and a true icon of Japanese popular culture, Masashi « Jumbo » Ozaki died at the age of 78 from colorectal cancer.
A sacred monster in his country, he had been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, becoming one of the symbols of the golf boom in Japan.
Former professional baseball player for three seasons with the Nishitetsu Lionsfrom 1965 to 1967, Masashi Ozaki turned to golf at the age of 23 before building an unrivaled record: 94 victories on the Japan Golf Touran absolute record, 12 number one titles on the “money list”, including a series of five in a row between 1994 and 1998, and 114 professional successes in total.
An icon in Japan
Nicknamed Jumbo because of his height (1.81 m) and length, he also won his last victory in 2002, at the age of 55, three years older than the record on the PGA Tour owned by Sam Snead.
He popularized golf in Japan and Asia, allowing it to reach new heights, and he knew how to appeal to the general public.
Greater than just a champion, Masashi Ozaki was indeed a major media figure, known for his charisma and flamboyant style, his colorful outfits and a musical career worthy of the name, with several singles ranked in the Japanese charts in the late 1980s.
My only regret is not having played more outside of Japan.
Masashi Ozaki
His relative absence on major Western circuits has seen him plateau at 5th place in the world rankings.
“My only regret is not having played more outside of Japan, said at the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame the first Japanese player to record a top 10 at the Masters, who played “only” 96 PGA Tour tournaments, for which he rented a house and traveled with a sushi maker. But I have dedicated my life to Japanese golf and I am extremely grateful to the voters for deeming me worthy of this honor. »
Photo : The Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP
