Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki: Golf Legend Passes Away at Age 78 After Losing Battle to Cancer
- The golf community have been thrown into mourning after the passing of Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki on Tuesday, December 23, 2025
- The Japanese golf legend reportedly battled with colon cancer for years, with his son also confirming what caused his father's death
- The news about Ozaki's passing sparked a lot of tribute messages from golf fans and others on social media
Japanese golf legend Masashi Ozaki has been confirmed dead at the age of 78 after reportedly losing his battle with colon cancer on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.
Source: Getty Images
Ozaki recorded 94 victories on the Japan Tour, capturing his maiden title in 1973, and went on to claim the Order of Merit an unprecedented 12 times. He is known as “Jumbo” for his powerful driving distance. He earned induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 after securing votes from half of the international electorate.
He initially pursued a career in professional baseball before transitioning to golf, winning his first competition at the age of 26 and continued winning titles until the age of 55. The Japanese golfer achieved top-10 results at the Masters, The Open, and the US Open, and often brought a sushi chef on overseas trips so his group could enjoy a sense of familiarity while competing far from home. Ozaki later explored a music career, releasing three singles that charted in Japan during the late 1980s.
Jumbo's passing comes after the death of 1972 Olympic bronze medallist Manuel Fredrick and golf legend Frank Wharton.
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Ozaki has died of colon cancer
The golf legend’s son, Tomoharu Ozaki, confirmed on Wednesday that his father passed away on Tuesday after battling stage four cancer of the sigmoid colon, according to a statement released to AFP. He explained that the former golfer had been receiving medical care at home since his cancer diagnosis roughly a year ago, and noted that funeral arrangements will be private and limited to immediate family members.
The Yomiuri newspaper credited Jumbo with dramatically boosting golf’s popularity in Japan, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, citing his exceptional power off the tee and his vibrant, charismatic persona.
Ozaki also came from a distinguished golfing lineage, as his younger brothers, Naomichi—widely known as Joe—and Tateo, nicknamed Jet, both rank among the Japan Golf Tour’s top 20 career earners.
Golf fans took to social media to pay tribute following the announcement of Ozaki’s death.
Jim Evola
"Wow, Rip. Sat next to him, eating lunch at TPC Sawgrass. Impressed by the size of the salad, he was eating."
Horacio Borromeo
"Rest in peace, Jumbo Ozaki. He was my idol after an earlier Japanese “big man, big hitter,” Sugimoto (hope I remembered the name right), retired. Today, my idol is Matsuyama."
Doug Stambaugh
"I remember him back in the late 80s, hitting a Driver called the J club or the J Driver. It was made by Mizuno."
Michael Anderson
"Can’t believe he is or was 78, so that means he was exceptional off the tee. He was one of the few who could consistently hit it longer than Greg Norman, then a few others came in Dal, and you name it, but he also cleaned up in skins vs Norman, I forget the others."
Justin Howard
"Seen him play live a few times. Guy was pretty awesome. Also saw Isao Aoki. Different games, not both were pure ball strikers, and Aoki’s putting was next level. He literally didn’t miss from 10 ft ever."
Rob Fitzpatrick
"So sad, end of an era…remember watching him and battling it out for 18 holes great player, true gentleman. Deepest condolences to family and friends 🙏🙏"
SA rugby player dies during rugby training
Briefly News earlier reported that a South African rugby player passed on after getting injured during a training session.
According to the report, the youngster received medical attention after getting injured, but sadly, he was unable to survive.
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Source: Briefly News
