Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, the Japanese golf icon and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, has died aged 78 from colon cancer, his son announced on Wednesday, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
Ozaki claimed 94 victories on the Japan Tour, with his first title coming in 1973, and captured the Order of Merit a record 12 times during his career.
Known by the nickname “Jumbo” for his prodigious length off the tee, Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 after receiving support from 50% of international ballots.
He passed away on Tuesday “due to stage 4 sigmoid colon cancer,” his son Tomoharu said in a statement obtained by AFP. Tomoharu added that Ozaki had been undergoing treatment at home since being diagnosed about a year ago, and that his funeral would be attended only by close family members.
In an obituary published Wednesday, the Yomiuri daily said Ozaki “explosively elevated the popularity of golf (in Japan) with his overwhelming driving distance and colourful personality.”
Ozaki was part of a prominent golf family. His younger brothers, Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet), are both among the top 20 all-time money winners on the Japan Golf Tour.
Even late in his career, Ozaki continued to produce remarkable performances. In 2013, at the age of 66, he shot a nine-under-par 62 — matching his age — during a domestic tour event.
“Shooting my age is not something I try to do,” Ozaki said after taking the first-round lead at the Tsuruya Open. “But if you can’t shoot 6-under or 7-under par when you play good golf, you don’t belong on the tour,” he told reporters, according to Kyodo News.
Yutaka Morohoshi, chairman of the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, said the golf world had lost a “great”.
“He long steered the men’s professional golf world and overwhelmed others with his unparalleled strength,” he said in a statement on the organisation’s website.