Masashi 'Jumbo' Ozaki has died of colon cancer at the age of 78.
The legendary golfer won a record 94 titles on the Japan Golf Tour, 43 more than any other player fellow World Golf Hall of Famer Isao Aoki in second. His remarkable tally included five Japan Opens and six Japan PGA Championships.
Ozaki's total of 12 Order of Merit titles is also a record.
His one victory outside of Japan came at the 1972 New Zealand PGA Championship. He represented Japan twice at the World Cup of Golf, and he also played for the International Team at the 1996 Presidents Cup.
Ozaki spent nearly 200 weeks inside the world's top-10 and reached a career-high of 5th.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. “I am very happy, very honored and appreciate everyone who has supported me since I turned pro in 1970,” Ozaki said in 2010.
“My only regret is not playing more outside of Japan, but I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and am extremely grateful the voters thought I was worthy of this honor.”
A former baseball player, Ozaki transitioned into golf in his early 20s and received the nickname 'Jumbo' due to his impressive length off the tee.
He finished inside the top-10 at The Masters, The Open and the US Open in 49 Major appearances, with his best result a T6 at Oak Hill in the 1989 US Open.
Ozaki even turned to singing and had three singles feature in the Japanese pop charts in the 1980s.
"The golf world has lost a truly great man," Japan Golf Tour chairman Yutaka Morohoshi said.
"He long steered the men's professional golf world and overwhelmed others with his unparalleled strength."
