Golf legend Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki has passed away aged 78

Japanese golf icon Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki has passed away at the age of 78, marking the loss of one of the most influential figures in the sport’s history.

Ozaki died from sigmoid colon cancer.

Ozaki, Japan’s most successful professional golfer, remains the winningest player in Japan Golf Tour history with a remarkable 94 victories and 12 Order of Merit titles. 

Renowned for his power off the tee, he earned the nickname ‘Jumbo’ and spent nearly 200 weeks inside the world’s top 10 during his career.

Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, with his profile noting: "While golf has long been popular in Japan, it was Ozaki who brought a new vitality to the game and his emergence spawned an unprecedented growth in the game in the country."

Before turning to golf, Ozaki was a professional baseball player. 

He claimed his first tournament victory in 1973 at the age of 26 and continued winning into his mid-50s, securing his final title aged 55. 

Internationally, he recorded top-10 finishes at The Open Championship, The Masters and the US Open.

Ozaki's best major performance was a tie for sixth at the 1989 US Open at Oak Hill. 

The Japan Golf Tour has labelled Ozaki as a "one of a kind figure."

Known for his larger-than-life personality, Ozaki famously travelled with a sushi chef when competing overseas "so that he and his entourage would feel more at home outside of their homeland". 

Away from the course, he also enjoyed success as a singer, releasing three singles that reached the Japanese charts in the late 1980s.

The Japan Golf Tour Organisation confirmed that Ozaki’s son, Tomoharu, announced his father had died after being diagnosed with colon cancer approximately a year ago.

JGTO chairman Yutaka Morohoshi paid tribute, saying: "The golf world has lost a truly great man."

He added: "He long steered the men's professional golf world and overwhelmed others with his unparalleled strength."

Ozaki’s impact on Japanese golf extends far beyond his trophies, and he will be fondly remembered as a pioneer who reshaped the sport in his homeland.