A Giant Falls — The Final Moments of the “Babe Ruth of Japanese Golf” and the Astonishing Records That Stunned the World

At 3:21 p.m. on December 23, 2025, the brightest star that had illuminated Japanese golf for more than half a century quietly faded from the sky. Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, who built an unparalleled legacy with 113 career victories and a record 94 wins on the domestic tour—numbers many believe will never be surpassed—passed away at the age of 78 from sigmoid colon cancer. The news was made public the following day, December 24, sending shockwaves not only through Japan but across the global golf community. As overseas media described him as “the Babe Ruth of Japanese golf,” Ozaki transcended the status of a mere athlete, becoming a cultural icon who embodied Japan’s journey from the high-growth era through the bursting of the economic bubble and into the Reiwa age.

According to those close to him, Ozaki had been battling illness for about a year, though this fact was kept strictly private. Determined to preserve the image—and reality—of “the strong Jumbo,” he refused hospitalization and chose to spend his final moments at his home in Chiba Prefecture. In addition to sigmoid colon cancer, he also suffered in his later years from spinal canal stenosis that made walking difficult. Even so, he clung stubbornly to the identity of an “active” golfer. His 모습 evoked the image of an ancient warrior who, though wounded, continued to stand on the battlefield.

Viewed from a global perspective, the records he left behind are staggering. His 94 domestic tour wins surpass the 82 victories achieved on the PGA Tour by legends such as Sam Snead and Tiger Woods. As an example of dominance within a single country, his achievements are virtually unprecedented in sports history. Even when considering only the period after the tour system was introduced in 1973, he stands far ahead of second-place Isao Aoki (51 wins) and third-place Tsuneharu Nakajima (48 wins), underscoring just how overwhelming a champion he was. Yet more than the numbers, it was his dramatic life story that captivated people. The tale of a man who traded a baseball bat for a golf club and rose to the pinnacle of his sport resonated deeply as a quintessential Japanese rags-to-riches narrative.

From Bat to Club — The Golden Age of “AON” and a Performance Beyond All Standards

Masashi Ozaki’s legend did not begin as a professional golfer, but as a professional baseball player. In 1964, he led Tokushima Kainan High School to victory at the Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament as its ace pitcher. The following year, in 1965, he joined the Nishitetsu Lions (now the Saitama Seibu Lions). Competing fiercely with peers such as Masaaki Ikenaga, his baseball career came to an end after just three years. A burning rebellious spirit—his desire to defeat Ikenaga—and the frustration of unfulfilled promise in baseball drove him toward a new battlefield: golf.

After passing the professional test in 1970, his talent blossomed almost instantly. He claimed his first major victory at the 1971 Japan Professional Golf Championship, ushering in what would soon be known as the “Jumbo Era.” Standing 181 centimeters tall, his powerful frame unleashed thunderous drives that delivered unprecedented distance and impact for a Japanese golfer of that era, transforming golf into a spectator sport.

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Ozaki, together with Isao Aoki and Tsuneharu Nakajima, forged a golden age known as “AON.” While Ozaki alone accumulated more victories than his two rivals combined, their fierce rivalries electrified the Japanese sports scene. Aoki’s short game, Nakajima’s meticulous technique, and Ozaki’s overwhelming power clashed like warlords vying for supremacy in a Sengoku-era battlefield.

Ozaki won the money title a total of 12 times, including an extraordinary five consecutive years from 1994 to 1998. He continued to defy age itself, capturing victory at 55 years old—the oldest winner at the time—at the 2002 ANA Open, and achieving an age-shoot of 62 at age 66 during the 2013 Tsuruy a Open. His playing style was sometimes criticized as “forceful,” but his supernatural clutch performances—highlighted by four come-from-behind wins overturning eight-stroke deficits—left fans expecting miracles, and time and again, he delivered.

“Two Brains” and “Eighteen Swords” — A Samurai Philosophy and the Seeds for the Next Generation

In his later years, Ozaki was sustained by a unique physical theory and a fierce personal aesthetic. He often said, “Humans have two brains: one in the skull, and one in the fingertips.” As sensitivity in the fingertips—the second brain—dulls with age, subtle touch deteriorates and the yips emerge, he believed. Pianists and painters, he argued, avoid the yips because they constantly use their fingertips. He himself struggled until the very end to keep those sensations sharp.

At his home, he displayed 18 Japanese swords collected to correspond with the 18 holes of a golf course. He was even said to have declared, “If I can no longer play golf, I will commit seppuku.” This was no mere metaphor; for Ozaki, losing golf was equivalent to losing life itself.

Yet even as his body approached its limits, he never neglected the future. Through the Jumbo Ozaki Golf Academy, which opened his private practice facilities, he scouted young talent using unconventional criteria—such as forcing prospects to swing feather-resistance practice clubs at full power to test their potential. His coaching style avoided spoon-feeding answers, instead demanding independence and deep self-reflection.

His words to a struggling Ryo Ishikawa—“Good, good. Struggle more. Struggle deeper.”—perfectly encapsulated his philosophy: only what is grasped through suffering becomes true strength. This “Jumboism” has been faithfully passed down to protégés such as Erika Hara, Yuka Saso, and Mao Saigo, who now dominate women’s golf. Their success was Ozaki’s greatest comfort in his later years, proof that his DNA would live on in new forms.

An Eternal Charisma — Tears from Rivals and the “Path of Supremacy” Inherited by Hideki Matsuyama and Beyond

Following the news of Ozaki’s passing, his former rivals were overcome with grief. His longtime “AON” companion Isao Aoki (83) said, “Having led the golf world together for so long as rivals, I have no words. I have lost another precious comrade.” Tsuneharu Nakajima (71) added, “The days we fought together are treasures. I was able to push myself because Jumbo was there.” Nakajima had visited Ozaki’s home the day before the news broke, but they were unable to meet—an outcome that reflected Ozaki’s determination to depart while still embodying “the strong Jumbo.”

Hideki Taniyama, then chairman of the players’ association, revealed that despite Ozaki’s public image as bold and intimidating, his true nature was “sensitive, shy, kind, and deeply caring.” Perhaps it was precisely this sensitivity that enabled such fearless play.

That spirit continues to live on in today’s stars. Competing in the United States, Hideki Matsuyama paid tribute, recalling Ozaki’s “overwhelming aura and powerful play” with vivid clarity, and vowed to become someone who could carry Japanese golf into the next generation. Though the great star named Masashi Ozaki has vanished, countless other stars—drawn into orbit by his immense gravity—will continue to illuminate the future of the sport.

For those aspiring to take on the world stage, Ozaki’s example—establishing an overwhelming individual presence at home before confronting the world—will remain an eternal textbook. A memorial ceremony is planned for next year’s domestic men’s tour opener, and it will surely be filled not with somber sorrow, but with profound respect for the great “Samurai of the Showa Era” and a renewed resolve to carve out the future.