was a Japanese professional golfer. 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. He is the most successful player of all time on the Japan Golf Tour, having led the money list a record 12 times and won 94 tournaments, over 40 more than the second highest player. Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
Career Ozaki was born in Kaifu District, Tokushima, on 24 January 1947.
He was a professional baseball pitcher/outfielder from 1965 to 1967 with the Nishitetsu Lions. However, he turned to professional golf at the age of 23 and won the Japan PGA Championship the following year.
Ozaki led the Japan Golf Tour in earnings in 1973–1974, 1977, 1988–1990, 1992, and 1994–1998. Ozaki finished 8th at the 1973 Masters Tournament and finished 6th at the 1989 U.S. Open. He competed at the Masters 19 times. He played occasionally on the PGA Tour from 1972 to 2000, in 96 tournaments, though never more than nine in one year. In these starts, his best finish was a T-4 at the 1993 Memorial Tournament. Ozaki played on the International Team in the 1996 Presidents Cup. Ozaki built "AON Age" with his rivals Isao Aoki and Tsuneyuki "Tommy" Nakajima.
As late as 2019, he still played occasionally on the Japan Golf Tour.
Personal life and death Ozaki's brothers Tateo "Jet" Ozaki and Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki were also professional golfers, both having played and won on the Japan Golf Tour.
Ozaki died of colorectal cancer on 23 December 2025, at the age of 78.
Awards and honors Ozaki won the Japan Golf Tour money list 12 times: in 1973, 1974, 1977, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 In 2011, Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Professional wins (114) Japan Golf Tour wins (94) Legend Flagship events (2) Other Japan Golf Tour (92) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up113 May 1973Kanto Pro Championship−9 (69-68-72-70=279)28 Jul 1973ANA Sapporo Open−5 (72-70-74-67=283)2 strokes Hsieh Min-Nan35 Aug 1973Tohoku Classic−15 (65-68-67-73=273)3 strokes Lu Liang-Huan414 Oct 1973Taiheiyo Club Masters−6 (71-67-71-69=278)Playoff Bert Yancey528 Oct 1973Tokai Classic−11 (71-65-69-72=277)1 stroke Isao Aoki623 Jun 1974Tohoku Classic (2)−8 (71-70-71-68=280)3 strokes Haruo Yasuda77 Jul 1974ANA Sapporo Open (2)−6 (72-73-71-66=282)Playoff Isao Aoki818 Aug 1974Japan PGA Championship−14 (67-68-66-73=274)4 strokes Isao Aoki98 Sep 1974Suntory Open−16 (66-69-66-71=272)3 strokes Kosaku Shimada1029 Sep 1974Japan Open Golf Championship−13 (69-69-68-73=279)1 stroke Takashi Murakami1117 Nov 1974Golf Nippon Series−10 (73-69-70-68=280)4 strokes Takashi Murakami128 Jun 1975Tohoku Classic (3)−10 (70-69-67-72=278)1 stroke Isao Aoki1311 Jul 1976Kanto Open−6 (69-68-76-69=282)1 stroke Takashi Murakami145 Sep 1976Hiroshima Open−13 (66-66-68=200)1 stroke Teruo Sugihara1519 Sep 1976Sanpo Classic−16 (72-63-65-72=272)1 stroke Lu Liang-Huan1629 May 1977Pepsi-Wilson Tournament−14 (69-67-72-66=274)4 strokes Kuo Chie-Hsiung1724 Jul 1977Kanto Open (2)−11 (73-71-67-66=277)4 strokes Toshiharu Kawada, Takashi Murakami1816 Oct 1977Tokai Classic (2)−10 (67-69-70-72=278)1 stroke Kosaku Shimada194 Dec 1977Golf Nippon Series (2)−15 (74-66-68-67=275)4 strokes Isao Aoki2021 May 1978Pepsi-Wilson Tournament (2)−13 (67-74-65-69=275)5 strokes Kosaku Shimada2124 Sep 1978Hiroshima Open (2)−15 (69-66-67-71=273)Playoff Hideyo Sugimoto2227 Apr 1980Dunlop International Open1−11 (68-70-69-70=277)5 strokes Ho Ming-chung, Graham Marsh2311 May 1980Fujisankei Classic−5 (72-67-71-73=283)1 stroke Graham Marsh, Takahiro Takeyasu247 Dec 1980Golf Nippon Series (3)−7 (72-72-71-68=283)2 strokes Isao Aoki255 Sep 1982Kanto Open (3) +2 (73-72-73-72=290)1 stroke Yutaka Hagawa2630 Oct 1983Gene Sarazen Jun ClassicE (72-69-72-75=288)Playoff Masahiro Kuramoto2728 Oct 1984Hiroshima Open (3)−15 (65-67-69-68=269)3 strokes Masaji Kusakabe2811 May 1986Fujisankei Classic (2)−5 (65-72-71-71=279)1 stroke David Ishii2917 Aug 1986Nikkei Cup−20 (68-66-68-66=268)4 strokes Ikuo Shirahama3024 Aug 1986Maruman Open−12 (64-72-70-70=276)3 strokes Saburo Fujiki, Naomichi Ozaki3128 Sep 1986Gene Sarazen Jun Classic (2)−9 (69-72-68-70=279)1 stroke Masahiro Kuramoto323 May 1987The Crowns−12 (69-67-66-66=268)6 strokes Isao Aoki, Ian Baker-Finch, Masahiro Kuramoto, Yoshitaka Yamamoto3310 May 1987Fujisankei Classic (3)−9 (68-72-66-69=275)2 strokes Graham Marsh3427 Sep 1987Gene Sarazen Jun Classic (3)−12 (68-69-67=204)5 strokes Namio Takasu3524 Apr 1988Dunlop Open1 (2)−10 (69-70-69-70=278)3 strokes David Ishii3614 Aug 1988Nikkei Cup (2)−5 (72-71-72-68=283)4 strokes Naomichi Ozaki3721 Aug 1988Maruman Open (2)−6 (73-65-69=207)3 strokes Hajime Meshiai, Yoshimi Niizeki389 Oct 1988Japan Open Golf Championship (2) +4 (67-73-75-73=288)1 stroke Isao Aoki, Tsuneyuki Nakajima3916 Oct 1988Polaroid Cup Golf Digest Tournament−12 (69-72-69-62=272)Playoff Brian Jones4023 Oct 1988Bridgestone Open−15 (72-64-68-69=273)2 strokes Isao Aoki417 May 1989Fujisankei Classic (4)−2 (68-68-70-76=282)2 strokes Katsunari Takahashi4214 May 1989Japan PGA Match-Play Championship Unisys Cup3 and 2 Hiroshi Makino434 Jun 1989Sendai Classic (4)−12 (70-65-71-66=272)3 strokes Tsuneyuki Nakajima, Katsunari Takahashi449 Jul 1989Yonex Open Hiroshima (4)−18 (69-67-68-66=270)6 strokes Seiji Ebihara, Seiichi Kanai, Nobuo Serizawa456 Aug 1989Japan PGA Championship (2)−6 (68-68-71-71=278)1 stroke Hideki Kase4617 Sep 1989ANA Open (3)−8 (71-70-68-71=280)6 strokes Ian Woosnam478 Oct 1989Japan Open Golf Championship (3)−6 (66-68-67-73=274)3 strokes Brian Jones486 May 1990Fujisankei Classic (5)−5 (67-77-64=208)1 stroke Saburo Fujiki, Masanobu Kimura, Tōru Nakamura, Naomichi Ozaki, Yoshitaka Yamamoto498 Jul 1990Yonex Open Hiroshima (5)−10 (69-73-71-65=278)1 stroke Tsuneyuki Nakajima5019 Aug 1990Maruman Open (2)−15 (69-70-66-68=273)5 strokes Tsuneyuki Nakajima5126 Aug 1990Daiwa KBC Augusta−19 (65-66-68-70=269)10 strokes Chen Tze-chung5218 Aug 1991Japan PGA Championship (3)−15 (71-73-68-61=273)6 strokes Tsukasa Watanabe5329 Sep 1991Gene Sarazen Jun Classic (4)−11 (69-68-70-70=277)Playoff Ryoken Kawagishi5426 Apr 1992Dunlop Open1 (3)−2 (69-76-72-69=286)Playoff Brent Franklin553 May 1992The Crowns (2)−10 (68-69-66-67=270)4 strokes Brent Franklin, Peter Senior565 Jul 1992PGA Philanthropy Tournament−14 (69-64-70-67=270)3 strokes Saburo Fujiki5720 Sep 1992ANA Open (4)−8 (70-69-69-72=280)4 strokes Ryoken Kawagishi5811 Oct 1992Japan Open Golf Championship (4)−11 (64-73-71-69=277)5 strokes Brent Franklin, Masahiro Kuramoto5915 Nov 1992Visa Taiheiyo Club Masters (2)−12 (74-66-66-70=276)1 stroke Masahiro Kuramoto, Bernhard Langer, Tsukasa Watanabe609 May 1993Fujisankei Classic (6)−14 (67-67-68-68=270)4 strokes Todd Hamilton, Tsukasa Watanabe6116 May 1993Japan PGA Championship (4)−10 (68-73-67-70=278)1 stroke Tsuyoshi Yoneyama6217 Oct 1993Asahi Beer Golf Digest Tournament (2)−16 (68-67-66-67=268)2 strokes Tsuneyuki Nakajima6324 Apr 1994Dunlop Open1 (4)−14 (67-68-70-69=274)1 stroke Hsieh Chin-sheng6410 Jul 1994Yonex Open Hiroshima (6)−14 (68-74-67-65=274)3 strokes Nobuo Serizawa6518 Sep 1994ANA Open (5)−20 (68-68-63-69=268)9 strokes Kiyoshi Murota662 Oct 1994Japan Open Golf Championship (5)−18 (68-66-69-67=270)13 strokes David Ishii, Hideki Kase676 Nov 1994Daiwa International−18 (65-72-70-63=270)15 strokes Fuzzy Zoeller6813 Nov 1994Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (3)−18 (66-69-68-67=270)5 strokes Bob Estes6920 Nov 1994Dunlop Phoenix Tournament−15 (67-69-65=201)1 stroke Tom Watson7030 Apr 1995The Crowns (3)−20 (66-64-63-67=260)5 strokes Nobuo Serizawa719 Jul 1995Yonex Open Hiroshima (7)−9 (73-68-66=207)1 stroke Satoshi Higashi7217 Sep 1995ANA Open (6)−9 (70-72-69-68=279)3 strokes Ernie Els7319 Nov 1995Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (2)−11 (65-71-69-68=273)1 stroke Robert Gamez, Brandt Jobe, Peter Senior743 Dec 1995Golf Nippon Series Hitachi Cup (4)−16 (66-67-71-68=272)2 strokes Shigenori Mori, Tsuneyuki Nakajima7528 Apr 1996The Crowns (4)−12 (64-68-69-67=268)4 strokes Katsuyoshi Tomori7612 May 1996Japan PGA Championship (5)−18 (68-66-67-69=270)8 strokes Shigeki Maruyama7726 May 1996Mitsubishi Galant Tournament−9 (72-70-73-64=279)Playoff Todd Hamilton782 Jun 1996JCB Classic Sendai (5)−7 (69-69-67-72=277)Playoff David Ishii7925 Aug 1996Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta (2)−15 (64-70-70-69=273)Playoff Taichi Teshima8022 Sep 1996Gene Sarazen Jun Classic (5)−19 (68-64-65=197)6 strokes Takaaki Fukuzawa8117 Nov 1996Dunlop Phoenix Tournament (3)−7 (68-67-69-73=277)3 strokes Naomichi Ozaki, Tom Watson821 Dec 1996Golf Nippon Series Hitachi Cup (5)−26 (62-68-65-67=262)4 strokes Shigeki Maruyama8316 Mar 1997Token Corporation Cup−19 (71-65-61-72=269)1 stroke Carlos Franco844 May 1997The Crowns (5)−13 (67-67-66-67=267)2 strokes Brian Watts851 Jun 1997Mitsubishi Galant Tournament (2)−10 (70-70-70-68=278)2 strokes Satoshi Higashi, Kōki Idoki, Tōru Nakamura8631 Aug 1997Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta (3)−22 (65-67-67-67=266)12 strokes Takaaki Fukuzawa, Taichi Teshima8726 Oct 1997Bridgestone Open (2)−15 (66-70-71-66=273)1 stroke Shigeki Maruyama, Tateo Ozaki8812 Jul 1998Yonex Open Hiroshima (8)−18 (68-70-66-66=270)1 stroke Peter McWhinney8930 Aug 1998Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta (4)−13 (66-72-65-72=275)4 strokes Katsunori Kuwabara901 Nov 1998Philip Morris Championship−13 (75-68-68-64=275)1 stroke Mitsuo Harada, Carlos Franco9114 Mar 1999Token Corporation Cup (2)−15 (72-65-69-67=273)1 stroke Toru Taniguchi9211 Jul 1999Yonex Open Hiroshima (9)−15 (73-69-67-64=273)Playoff Shigemasa Higaki936 Aug 2000Sun Chlorella Classic−12 (74-68-66-68=276)Playoff Shoichi Yamamoto9422 Sep 2002ANA Open (7)−17 (67-66-69-69=271)1 stroke Hiroyuki Fujita 1Co-sanctioned by the Asia Golf Circuit
Japan Golf Tour playoff record (12–9) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result11973Taiheiyo Club Masters Bert YanceyWon three-hole aggregate playoff;Ozaki: −1 (3-3-4=10),Yancey: +2 (4-5-4=13)21974ANA Sapporo Open Isao AokiWon with birdie on first extra hole31978Hiroshima Open Hideyo SugimotoWon with par on second extra hole41979Yomiuri Open Teruo SugiharaLost to birdie on second extra hole51980Toshiba Taiheiyo Masters Norio SuzukiLost after concession on first extra hole61983Acom Doubles(with Hajime Meshiai) Lu Hsi-chuen and Lu Liang-HuanLost to birdie on third extra hole71983Kanto Open Kikuo Arai, Saburo FujikiFujiki won with par on third extra holeArai eliminated by par on first hole81983Gene Sarazen Jun Classic Masahiro KuramotoWon with par on first extra hole91988Polaroid Cup Golf Digest Tournament Brian JonesWon with birdie on first extra hole101991Gene Sarazen Jun Classic Ryoken KawagishiWon with par on first extra hole111992Dunlop Open Brent FranklinWon with birdie on first extra hole121992Gene Sarazen Jun Classic Chen Tze-chungLost to par on third extra hole131996Mitsubishi Galant Tournament Todd HamiltonWon with par on first extra hole141996JCB Classic Sendai David IshiiWon with par on first extra hole151996Hisamitsu-KBC Augusta Taichi TeshimaWon with par on second extra hole161998Japan PGA Championship Brandt JobeLost to par on first extra hole171998Golf Nippon Series JT Cup Katsumasa MiyamotoLost to birdie on fourth extra hole181999Yonex Open Hiroshima Shigemasa HigakiWon with birdie on first extra hole192000Sun Chlorella Classic Shoichi YamamotoWon with birdie on first extra hole202001Juken Sangyo Open Hiroshima Keiichiro FukaboriLost to par on first extra hole212003Acom International Masahiro Kuramoto, Katsumasa MiyamotoKuramoto won with birdie on first extra hole
Asia Golf Circuit wins (4)