Legendary Golfer With 113 Worldwide Victories Dies at 78

Over the last several decades, there have been many professional golfers who found a lot of success in the sport. Given that fact and how competitive the sport can definitely be, it takes a lot for even people who are among the best golfers in the world to stand out among their highly-skilled peers.

In December 2025, the golf world was saddened to learn that a former multiple-time champion had passed away. The situation was especially emotional for many fans of the sport since the golfer who passed had managed to become a true legend of the sport for a variety of reasons.

Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki Has Passed Away at 78 Years Old

On December 23, 2025, Sportsnet published an article that stated that the Japan Golf Tour had announced that Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki had passed away in his home country of Japan. Furthermore, the outlet reported that Ozaki had passed at 78 years old after battling colon cancer.

After news of Ozaki's passing was announced, the PGA Tour's website published an article commemorating his amazing life. That article revealed that Ozaki was born on January 24, 1947, in Tokushima. The article also stated that Ozaki had two younger brothers, Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki and Tateo "Jet" Ozaki, who were both successful golfers among the Japan Golf Tour Organization's all-time biggest money winners.

Masashi Jumbo Ozaki Had an Incredible Golf Career

The aforementioned Sportsnet article about Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki's passing detailed how truly legendary and groundbreaking his golf career was. The most illustrative part of that article was that it stated that Ozaki's 113 victories on the world stage is a record for any golfer from Japan. Just as importantly, the article stated that the legendary golfer was a revered figure in Japan and that he'd been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. That induction was a groundbreaking moment since Ozaki was the first Japanese golfer to have been recognized with that honor.

On top of the accolades that Ozaki earned throughout his career, he was also incredibly accomplished at winning money. The PGA Tour's aforementioned article detailed how financially rewarding Ozaki's career was for him, when compared to his peers at that time. The article stated that Ozaki led the tour in earnings 12 times during his career, which was a record.

Anyone familiar with the golfer's legacy won't be surprised that the PGA Tour's article also covered another one of the huge factors that allowed Ozaki to become a sensation. As a golfer, Ozaki stood out because he was known for being charismatic and for playing to win. If that wasn't enough proof of Ozaki's big personality during his life, he also released three songs during the late 1980s that landed on Japan's pop music charts.