Famed golfer Masashi Ozaki, known by his nickname “Jumbo,” died Tuesday of sigmoid colon cancer, the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) said Wednesday. He was 78. He was diagnosed with the disease about a year ago.
A family funeral will be held along with a farewell event in the future.
Ozaki won 113 tournaments in his lifetime. In 1973, he became the first Japanese golfer to rank in the top 10 at the Masters, placing 8th. He won the money title a total of 12 times, including five consecutive years starting in 1994. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
“What made him charismatic was the fact that he won four times in which he came back from eight shots behind,” according to the JGTO website on Ozaki. “He pulled off some incredible shots a number of times.”
“Ozaki is often thought to be to Japanese golf what Arnold Palmer is to American golf,” the World Golf of Fame website said of Ozaki. “His success has spawned an entire generation of Japanese golf professionals, both male and female.”
Ozaki first started his career as a baseball player, playing for the Seibu Lions from 1965. After three years, he left the team and started his career as a professional golfer, where he flourished.
Ozaki’s two younger brothers, Tateo and Naomichi, are also professional golfers known by their nicknames “Jet” and “Joe.”