Masashi Ozaki

Masashi Ozaki (尾崎 将司, Ozaki Masashi, born (尾崎 正司) 24 January 1947) is a Japanese professional golfer. Ozaki is often known as Jumbo Ozaki (ジャンボ尾崎 Janbo Ozaki) on account of his height and length off the tee. He featured in the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for almost 200 weeks between 1989 and 1998. He is the most successful player of all time on the Japan Golf Tour, having led the money list a record 12 times and won 94 tournaments, more than 40 more than the second highest player. Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

Biography

Ozaki was born in Kaifu District, Tokushima. He was a professional baseball pitcher/outfielder from 1965 to 1967 with the Nishitetsu Lions, but he turned to professional golf at the age of 23 and won the Japan PGA Championship the following year.

Ozaki led the Japan Golf Tour in earnings in 1973–74, 1977, 1988–90, 1992, and 1994–98. Ozaki finished 8th at The Masters in 1973 and finished 6th at the U.S. Open in 1989. He competed at the Masters 19 times. He played occasionally on the PGA Tour from 1972 to 2000, in 96 tournaments, though never more than nine in one year. In these starts, his best finish was a T-4 at the 1993 Memorial Tournament. Ozaki played on the International Team in the 1996 Presidents Cup. Ozaki built "AON Age" with his rivals Isao Aoki and Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima. Ozaki's brothers Tateo "Jet" and Naomichi "Joe" are also professional golfers and, like Masashi, have been extremely successful on the Japan Golf Tour with dozens of wins between them. Now in his sixties, he still plays regularly on the Japan Golf Tour.

Professional wins (114)

Japan Golf Tour wins (94)

• 1973 (5) Tohoku Classic, Kanto Pro Championship, ANA Sapporo Open, Tokai Classic, Taiheiyo Club Masters
• 1974 (6) Tohoku Classic, Japan PGA Championship, Suntory Open, ANA Sapporo Open, Japan Open Golf Championship, Nippon Series
• 1975 (1) Tohoku Classic
• 1976 (3) Kanto Open, Hiroshima Open, Sanpo Classic
• 1977 (4) Pepsi-Wilson Tournament, Kanto Open, Tokai Classic, Nippon Series
• 1978 (2) Pepsi-Wilson Tournament, Hiroshima Open
• 1980 (3) Dunlop International Open, Fujisankei Classic, Nippon Series
• 1982 (1) Kanto Open
• 1983 (1) Jun Classic
• 1984 (1) Hiroshima Open
• 1986 (4) Fujisankei Classic, Nikkei Cup, Maruman Open, Jun Classic
• 1987 (3) The Crowns, Fujisankei Classic, Jun Classic
• 1988 (6) Dunlop Open, Nikkei Cup, Maruman Open, Japan Open Golf Championship, Golf Digest Tournament, Bridgestone Open
• 1989 (7) Fujisankei Classic, Japan PGA Championship, Sendai Classic, Yonex Open Hiroshima, Japan PGA Match-Play Championship Unisys Cup, ANA Open, Japan Open Golf Championship
• 1990 (4) Fujisankei Classic, Yonex Open Hiroshima, Maruman Open, Daiwa KBC Augusta
• 1991 (2) Japan PGA Championship, Jun Classic
• 1992 (6) Dunlop Open, The Crowns, PGA Philanthropy Tournament, ANA Open, Japan Open Golf Championship, Visa Taiheiyo Club Masters
• 1993 (3) Fujisankei Classic, Japan PGA Championship, Golf Digest Tournament
• 1994 (7) Dunlop Open, Yonex Open Hiroshima, ANA Open, Japan Open Golf Championship, Daiwa International, Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters, Phoenix Tournament
• 1995 (5) The Crowns, Yonex Open Hiroshima, ANA Open, Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, Golf Nippon Series Hitachi Cup
• 1996 (8) The Crowns, Japan PGA Championship, Mitsubishi Galant Tournament, JCB Classic Sendai, Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta, Gene Sarazen Jun Classic, Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, Golf Nippon Series Hitachi Cup
• 1997 (5) Token Corporation Cup, The Crowns, Mitsubishi Galant Tournament, Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta, Bridgestone Open
• 1998 (3) Yonex Open Hiroshima, Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta, Philip Morris Championship
• 1999 (2) Token Corporation Cup, Yonex Open Hiroshima
• 2000 (1) Sun Chlorella Classic
• 2002 (1) ANA Open

Japanese circuit wins (14)

• 1971 (5) Japan PGA Championship, Nippon Series, Golf Digest Tournament, Miki Gold Cup (tie with Billy Casper), Setouchi Series Hiroshima leg
• 1972 (9) Wizard Tournament, Sapporo Open, Kanto Open, All Nippon Doubles, Nippon Series, Grand Monarch, First Flight, Chiba Open, Asahi International

Australian Tour win (1)

• 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship

Other wins (5)

• 1976 Chiba Open
• 1984 Kanagawa Open
• 1985 Kanagawa Open
• 1990 Nissan Super Skins (Australia)
• 1992 Sanko Grand Summer Tournament

Results in major championships

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

• Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times)

Team appearances

This list may be incomplete.

• World Cup (representing Japan): 1974, 1988
• Four Tours World Championship: (representing Japan) 1986 (winners), 1987, 1989
• Presidents Cup (International team): 1996