Masashi Ozaki
| Masashi Ozaki | |
|---|---|
| Nation: |
 Japan
|
| Nickname: | jumbo |
| Career data | |
| Professional since: | 1970 |
| Current tour: | Japan Golf Tour |
| Tournament wins: | 96 |
| Major wins : | no |
| Awards: | World Golf Hall of Fame (2011) |
Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki ( Japanese 尾崎 将 司 , Ozaki Masashi ; born January 24, 1947 in Shishikui (today: Kaiyō ), Tokushima Prefecture , Japan ) is the most successful professional golfer on the Japan Golf Tour . He is better known as Jumbo Ozaki because of his height (1.81 meters / 90 kg) and his long tee .
Ozaki was originally a professional baseball player , pitcher from 1965 to 1967, but decided to play golf at the age of 23 and won the Japan Pro Golf Championship the following year.
Jumbo won the Japan Golf Tour money list eleven times, won 94 tournaments there and has so far collected almost € 20 million in prize money. Outside of Japan, however, it was nowhere near as successful, with only two successes at smaller events. Although he competed 18 times in the Masters , but was only able to achieve an 8th place in 1973, at the US Open in 1989 Ozaki took a 6th place as the best placement. Nonetheless, Jumbo is quite a popular figure in the United States, although he is not particularly fond of the English language.
His brothers Naomichi (better known as "Joe" Ozaki) and Tateo are also professional golfers, with Joe being as popular as Jumbo, while Tateo is hardly known internationally.
Ozaki has long been eligible to compete in senior tournaments , but still plays regularly on the Japan Golf Tour .
Japan Golf Tour Money List Wins
- 1973, 1974, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ozaki, Masashi |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 尾崎 将 司 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese golfer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 24, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ishikui , Tokushima Prefecture, Japan |