Masashi Ozaki
2200260
225360315
2008-07-13T07:52:58Z
DandyDan2007
2390993
now in his sixties (61)
{{nihongo|'''Masashi Ozaki'''|尾崎 将司|''Ozaki Masashi''|extra=born (尾崎 正司) [[January 24]], [[1947]]}} is a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[golf]]er. 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.<ref>[http://dps.twiihosting.net/wgr/doc/content/2007%20Stats/86TO0810.pdf 69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking]</ref> He is the most successful player of all time on the [[Japan Golf Tour]], having led the money list a record 12 times and [[Golfers with most Japan Golf Tour wins|won 94 tournaments]], more than forty more than the second highest tally. He built "AON Age" with his rivals [[Isao Aoki]] and [[Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima]].
Ozaki was born in [[Kaifu District, Tokushima]]. He was a professional [[baseball]] pitcher from [[1965]] to [[1967]], but he turned to professional golf at the age of 23 and won the Japan Pro Golf Championship the following year.
Ozaki led the Japan Golf Tour in earnings in [[1973]], [[1974]], [[1977]], [[1988]], [[1989]], [[1990]], [[1992]], [[1994]], [[1995]], [[1996]], [[1997]] and [[1998]].
Ozaki finished 8th at [[The Masters Tournament|The Masters]] in [[1973]] and finished 6th at the [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] in 1989. He competed at [[The Masters]] 18 times. He played occasionally on the [[PGA Tour]] from [[1972]] to [[2000]] (96 tournaments, never more than seven in one year). His best finish was a T-4 at the [[1993]] [[Memorial Tournament]].
Ozaki's brothers [[Tateo Ozaki|Tateo]] "Jet" and [[Naomichi Ozaki|Naomichi]] "Joe" are also professional golfers. Now in his sixties, he still plays regularly on the Japan Golf Tour.
Ozaki played on the International Team in the 1996 [[Presidents Cup]].
==Professional wins (113)==
===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 (golf)|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 (golf)|Nippon Series]]
*1978 (2) [[Pepsi-Wilson Tournament]], [[Hiroshima Open]]
*1980 (3) [[Dunlop International Open]], [[Fujisankei Classic]], [[Nippon Series (golf)|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]], [[Taiheiyo 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]], [[Dunlop Phoenix Tournament|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]]
===International wins (1)===
*1972 [[New Zealand PGA Championship]]
===Other wins (18)===
*1971 (5) [[Japan PGA Championship]], [[Nippon Series (golf)|Nippon Series]], [[Golf Digest Tournament]], Nichibei Taiko (Japan vs US Team Match), Setouchi Series Hiroshima leg
*1972 (9) Wizard, Sapporo Open, [[Kanto Open]], All Nippon Doubles, [[Nippon Series (golf)|Nippon Series]], Grand Monaco, Fast Freight, Chiba Open, Asahi International
*1976 (1) Chiba Open
*1984 (1) Kanagawa Open
*1985 (1) Kanagawa Open
*1992 (1) Sanko Grand Summer Tournament
==Team appearances==
''This list may be incomplete.''
*[[Presidents Cup]] (International team): [[1996 Presidents Cup|1996]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.jgto.org/jgto/WG05020200Profile.do?playerCd=202&playerTourKbn=2 Profile on the Japan Golf Tour's official site]
*[http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/19/06/ Profile on the PGA Tour's official site]
*[http://www.jumboozaki-333.com/profile/index.html Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki's site] - in Japanese
{{start box}}
{{succession box|title=[[Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize]] Winner|before=[[Ichiro Suzuki]] |after=[[Hidetoshi Nakata]]|years=1996}}
{{end box}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozaki, Masashi}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Japanese golfers]]
[[Category:Japan Golf Tour golfers]]
[[Category:People from Tokushima Prefecture]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of multiple sports]]
[[Category:Japanese baseball players]]
[[de:Masashi Ozaki]]
[[ja:尾崎将司]]