Masashi Ozaki aka Jumbo is the most successful golfer ever on the Japan Golf Tour. He has 40 more wins than the next highest player. He was nicknamed Jumbo because of his power off the tee and his size (5’11” 198lbs)
Japanese golf icon Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, widely regarded as the greatest player in the nation’s history, passed away on Tuesday after a battle with sigmoid colon cancer. He was 78.
The Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) confirmed the news on Wednesday, noting that Ozaki had been diagnosed with the disease approximately one year ago. A family funeral has been held privately, with plans for a public farewell event to be announced in the future.
Born on January 24, 1947, in Tokushima Prefecture, Ozaki initially pursued a career in professional baseball, pitching and playing outfield for the Nishitetsu Lions (later Seibu Lions) from 1965 to 1967. At age 23, he transitioned to golf, turning pro in 1970 and quickly establishing himself as a dominant force.
Nicknamed “Jumbo” for his imposing 181 cm, 90 kg frame and booming drives—evoking the Boeing 747 jumbo jet that debuted around the same time—Ozaki amassed an unparalleled record. He secured 94 victories on the Japan Golf Tour, the most in its history, along with additional wins for a career total exceeding 110 tournaments (sources vary slightly between 112 and 114). His triumphs included five Japan Open titles and six Japan PGA Championships.
Ozaki’s charisma shone through dramatic comebacks, including four victories where he erased eight-shot deficits. “What made him charismatic was the fact that he won four times in which he came back from eight shots behind,” the JGTO has noted on its website. “He pulled off some incredible shots a number of times.”
Internationally, Ozaki made his mark early, becoming the first Japanese golfer to finish in the top 10 at the Masters Tournament with an eighth-place result in 1973. He competed in 19 Masters, 13 U.S. Opens, and represented the International Team at the 1996 Presidents Cup. His best major finish outside Japan was a tie for sixth at the 1989 U.S. Open, and he reached a career-high world ranking of No. 5.
He claimed the Japan Golf Tour money title a record 12 times, including a streak of five consecutive seasons from 1994. At 55, he became the tour’s oldest winner by triumphing at the 2002 ANA Open.
In 2011, Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, joining Isao Aoki as the only Japanese men to receive the honor. “Ozaki is often thought to be to Japanese golf what Arnold Palmer is to American golf,” the Hall of Fame website states. “His success has spawned an entire generation of Japanese golf professionals, both male and female.”
Upon his induction, Ozaki reflected: “I am very happy, very honoured and appreciate everyone who has supported me since I turned pro in 1970. My only regret is not playing more outside of Japan, but I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and am extremely grateful the voters thought I was worthy of this honour.”
Ozaki came from a golfing family; his younger brothers Tateo (“Jet”) and Naomichi (“Joe”) also enjoyed successful professional careers, ranking among the tour’s all-time money leaders.
The golf world has mourned the loss of a pioneer whose power, personality, and perseverance elevated the sport’s popularity in Japan and inspired countless players worldwide.
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – As the sun dipped low over Bethpage Black on Sunday afternoon, the impossible suddenly felt within reach. Team USA, staring down a historic 11.5-4.5 deficit entering the final day’s singles matches – the largest since the Ryder Cup adopted its modern format in 1979 – had transformed a potential rout into a nail-biting thriller. Roars echoed across the rugged Long Island course, red points flooded the leaderboard, and for a fleeting hour, the ghosts of past miracles like the 1999 “Battle of Brookline” and 2012’s “Miracle at Medinah” seemed to whisper that history could repeat itself.
But in the end, it was too little, too late. Europe clung on for a 15-13 victory, retaining the Ryder Cup and claiming their first win on U.S. soil since that fateful day at Medinah 13 years ago. Shane Lowry’s clutch birdie on the 18th hole to halve his match with Russell Henley sealed the deal, extinguishing the American flames just as they threatened to engulf the Europeans. What could have been the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup lore became, instead, a testament to resilience – and a stark reminder of how Team USA’s fate was sealed long before Sunday’s heroics.
Captain Keegan Bradley, a lifelong New England Patriots fan, invoked the spirit of Super Bowl LI in his Saturday night team meeting. Trailing by seven points, he reminded his players of Tom Brady’s legendary 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. “I want to go out there and make history,” Bradley told them. “They all do.”
And for a while, it looked like they might. The Americans stormed out of the gates, tying a Ryder Cup record with 8.5 points in Sunday’s singles – the most ever in a singles session. They lost just one match outright: Patrick Cantlay falling 2&1 to Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg. The rest? A barrage of wins and halves that turned a coronation for Europe into a frantic survival test.
It started with hometown hero Cameron Young, a New York native and Bethpage course-record holder, who birdied the 18th to edge out England’s Justin Rose 1-up. Moments later, Justin Thomas – overcoming a two-hole deficit on the back nine – sank a birdie putt on 18 to defeat the previously undefeated Tommy Fleetwood 1-up. “I heard a roar and I backed off,” Thomas said of Young’s win interrupting his putt on 17. “And then to see that he had won his match… it was like, OK, you know, we all felt like we could.”
The momentum built. Bryson DeChambeau, channeling “Finding Nemo’s” Dory with his mantra to “just keep swimming,” clawed back from five holes down to halve with Matt Fitzpatrick. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who had endured a nightmare start to the week (0-4 in team play, the first in modern Ryder Cup history), turned the tables on Rory McIlroy. Scheffler’s birdie on 14 gave him the lead, and he held on for a 1-up win in the marquee matchup of the top two ranked players – a Ryder Cup first.
Xander Schauffele dominated Jon Rahm 4&3, while U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun beat Sepp Straka 2&1. Ben Griffin downed Rasmus Højgaard 1-up. Even with Norwegian Viktor Hovland withdrawing due to a neck injury – invoking an obscure rule that halved his match with Harris English – the board shifted dramatically. By mid-afternoon, Europe’s commanding lead had shrunk to 13.5-9.5, with Data Golf pegging USA’s win probability at a once-infinitesimal 0.1% creeping upward.
The atmosphere at Bethpage, already electric, turned euphoric. The infamous “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants from European fans faded, replaced by “USA!” echoes. Thomas and Young, fresh off their wins, raced around the course like cheerleaders, hyping up teammates. DeChambeau skipped and hopped in celebration, kicking his legs wildly. “I fought my ass off today for this team, for this country,” DeChambeau said. “We’re not quitters. We’re not people that go down easy.”
The Climax: Lowry’s Dagger and Europe’s Exhale
With four matches left on the course and Europe needing just a half-point to reach 14 and retain the Cup, all eyes turned to the penultimate groups. Tyrrell Hatton and Collin Morikawa halved, as did Sam Burns and Robert MacIntyre in the anchor match. But the decisive blow came from Lowry and Henley.
Henley, 0-2 entering Sunday, had battled valiantly, leading by one as they reached the 18th tee. From a fairway bunker, he stuck his approach to 10 feet – a shot that drew gasps from the crowd. “Everything was coming up America, right?” one observer noted. But Lowry, the gregarious Irishman who thrives in Ryder Cup pressure, outdid him, landing his shot inside six feet.
Henley missed his birdie attempt short. Lowry didn’t. His putt dropped, halving the match and clinching at least a retention for Europe. Lowry erupted, sprinting around the green, leaping into his caddie’s arms. “That was the hardest couple of hours in my whole life,” Lowry admitted through tears. “It was so hard out there… The Ryder Cup means everything to me.”
Henley turned purple with disappointment, head down as teammates consoled him. Schauffele forced eye contact and cracked a joke to make him laugh. “I’ve never felt nerves quite like that,” Henley said. “Very disappointed the way I finished.”
Europe’s celebrations spilled onto the greens – flags waving, beers flowing, giggles echoing past the American press conference. McIlroy, who had borne the brunt of fan abuse all week, summed it up: “We did what we needed to do, and we’re going to celebrate like there’s no tomorrow.”
The Ugly Undercurrent: Fan Behavior and Lost Momentum
This Ryder Cup will be remembered not just for the drama but for the controversy. Bethpage’s rowdy reputation boiled over, particularly on Saturday. Fans hurled obscenities at McIlroy, mocked Lowry’s physique, and even threw a drink that hit McIlroy’s wife. “Anybody that was out there could pretty blatantly tell you that there was some things said,” Thomas said. “It was unfortunate… I guess that’s the New York fans for you.”
The vitriol seemed to galvanize Europe. “We shut them up,” McIlroy said post-win. Videos from the European bus showed them trolling the Americans, turning hostility into fuel.
Blame Game: Where Team USA Went Wrong
The comeback masked deeper issues. Team USA lost the first four sessions – the first home team ever to do so – building an insurmountable hole. Scheffler, the world’s best, went 0-4 in teams before his singles win, crushing morale. “It’s crushing to a team’s morale when the best player on the planet is getting crushed,” one analyst noted.
Captain Bradley faces scrutiny. He reused struggling pairings like Scheffler-Henley and English-Morikawa, both hammered on Friday. “What is it they say is the definition of insanity?” critics asked. Bradley also confessed post-loss: “I think I would have set the course up a little differently.” Bethpage, one of golf’s toughest tracks, was softened, potentially aiding Europe’s putting prowess (they dominated the greens, per Data Golf).
Broader problems loom. LIV Golf siphoned talent: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Patrick Reed lost competitive edge, missing the team. Jordan Spieth, once a lock, slumped amid PGA Tour policy board duties. Of 15 American major winners under 42 in the last decade, only six made the roster – an absurd low. “The U.S. pool of candidates was shallower than it should have been,” experts say.
Fans share blame too. Their antics embarrassed the U.S. and motivated Europe.
Looking Ahead: A Brutal Reflection
Bradley called Sunday “close to a miracle,” praising his team’s heart. “To watch them go out all week and hold their heads high… is close to a miracle.” But Europe has won 11 of the last 15 Ryder Cups, six of the last eight. The U.S. heads to Ireland’s Adare Manor in 2027 as underdogs.
For now, the Americans lick their wounds. They didn’t quit – they nearly etched their names in legend. But as Bradley stared at Europe’s celebrations, the pain was palpable. “I’ll remember this the rest of my life,” he said. The comeback that almost was will haunt them, a reminder that in the Ryder Cup, heart alone isn’t enough – execution from day one is.
Rory McIlroy leads the Masters by two shots over Bryson DeChambeau, but that is not who he will be playing in the tournament’s final round. Sunday at Augusta National will be McIlroy versus McIlroy.
“I’m just going to have to settle in and really try to keep myself in my own little bubble and keep my head down,” he said after shooting a third-round 66 to enter Sunday at 12-under-par.
Saturday will be the first time McIlroy has held a 54-hole lead at a major since the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla — his last major championship victory. He’s playing on a golf course that is the site of one of the worst collapses of his career — the 2011 Masters, where he held a four-shot lead Sunday morning. And he’ll be paired with the man who came out on top while he crumbled in his most recent major heartbreak at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst — DeChambeau. The Masters is also the major championship that would complete McIlroy’s career grand slam.
This is all a reality check, whether McIlroy likes to admit it or not.
McIlroy does know what’s ahead of him. He’ll get back to his hotel room Saturday night, try as hard as he possibly can not to look at his phone and watch an episode of “Bridgerton” before attempting to fall asleep. Then he’ll step up to the first tee at Augusta National at 2:30 p.m. ET, and a subconscious row of hurdles will be ready to line up in front of him. It’s all in the science. When the mind finds itself in situations that even remotely resemble a painful past playing out again in the future, it is designed to raise red flags.
“It’s human nature. We were designed to survive. So, oh — don’t do that! That puts you in danger, so do this instead. It’s like it’s a defense mechanism. That’s exactly what it is,” McIlroy said, when discussing the concept of mental “scar tissue” in March with The Athletic.
On Tuesday, McIlroy revisited the topic on his own accord. Sometimes, as human beings, we behave in strange ways to protect ourselves. It is in our nature to fear that which has hurt us. McIlroy is not shy about the fact that he has felt himself putting up those sorts of barriers on the golf course, and yes, they have come back to bite him.
“It happens in all walks of life,” McIlroy said. “At a certain point in someone’s life, someone doesn’t want to fall in love because they don’t want to get their heart broken. People, I think, instinctually as human beings we hold back sometimes because of the fear of getting hurt, whether that’s a conscious decision or subconscious decision, and I think I was doing that on the golf course a little bit for a few years.”
There was a period in McIlroy’s major career, from 2014 until 2020, where he says he was treating the majors like all the other tournaments, when in fact, they are very different, both in the tests they present and the expectations that come with them. So in effect, McIlroy admitted to taking an avoidance-based approach for the first six years of his 11-year major championship drought. He played well at the majors anyway — his 21 top-10 finishes in majors from 2015 through 2024 are the most ever for a player in 10 years without winning — but the lack of trophies may be at least partially rooted in his mental strategy.
Many high-level performance psychologists aim to teach athletes the skill of acceptance. If you do not fully submit to the fact that being on the biggest stages of a sport or profession could result in a public disappointment — or worse, more than one — it is impossible not to operate out of prevention. That’s how the brain works, but the best athletes are the ones who don’t let it go there. If you do, the focus required to execute at your best becomes extremely difficult.
“If you show up at a place not having done some inner work to go, ‘OK, I’m willing to accept the fact that there’s the same risk if not more risk this time than last time, then neurologically my brain is hardwired to provide me anxiety for this experience,’” says performance psychologist Raymond Prior, who has coached multiple Masters champions. “This is a neurological non-negotiable for us.”
McIlroy has been increasingly vulnerable and open about his mental preparation for these very moments. He told The Athletic for a story that was published at the beginning of this week that in 2024, he experimented with hypnosis. He spoke at the Players Championship about managing his pre-round anxiety.
McIlroy is actively working with sports psychologist Bob Rotella, who is on site at the Masters. McIlroy has “cliché mantras” scribbled in the back of his yardage book as mental reminders this week, and he has been speaking with Rotella throughout the tournament.
All of the internal work adds up to one thing: The pursuit of a feeling, a mindset that only McIlroy can identify, but to him, it represents success.
“If I can go home tonight and look in the mirror before I go to bed and be like, that’s the way I want to feel when I play golf, that, to me, is a victory,” said McIlroy on Saturday evening.
So far, McIlroy has achieved that sensation by believing in his own resilience. He’s been knocked down before, at St. Andrews and Los Angeles Country Club and Pinehurst in the last three years, and guess what? Each time, he got up. “The last few years I’ve had chances to win some of the biggest golf tournaments in the world, and it hasn’t quite happened. But life moves on. You dust yourself off and you go again,” he said Tuesday.
For McIlroy, remembering those real experiences, and particularly the displays of strength that came after them, is the key to sorting through the alarm bells that his brain is hardwired to provide.
With all the noise tomorrow will bring, zeroing in on that mindset will be a tall task. There will be much more at play than just besting DeChambeau’s score.
After some rain overnight softened up the course, the scoring conditions were ideal for Friday’s second round at the Masters. And many of the world’s best golfers were ready to take advantage.
Following a masterful opening round at Augusta National, round one leader Justin Rose came back to earth on Friday, allowing much of the field to move within striking distance heading to the weekend.
Rose shot a very respectable round of 71, but had too many bogeys mixed in with his handful of birdies.
Justin Rose takes a one-shot lead into Saturday’s third round at the Masters. Harry How/Getty Images
However, the 44-year-old Englishman has many on his tail including Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy.
DeChambeau, a two-time major winner, started out the second round scorched earth and continued on to finish the day at 4-under par, sitting one stroke behind Rose for the lead.
The Northern Irishman, McIlroy, had a disastrous back nine in Thursday’s first round but did a total 180 on Friday, carding a 6-under par that leaves him just two shots from the lead.
Rose welcomed the opportunity to go against some of the best world.
“That’s the company that I expect to keep, and that’s where I have tried to be my whole career,” Rose said to reporters after the round. “That’s where I’ve been for a lot of my career. So I’ve been a Top-10 player in the world for a decade or more. So yeah, this is nice to, obviously, yeah, be back in that mix, a hundred percent.”
Rose and DeChambeau will tee off at 2:40 p.m. ET on Saturday while McIlroy will get started 10 minutes earlier.
In the hunt with two rounds to play
McIlroy and DeChambeau headline the crop of stars to remain in the hunt for the iconic green jacket.
The 35-year-old’s quest for a maiden Masters win and a career grand slam appeared dead following Thursday’s multiple double-bogeys that saw him fall from second to 27th on the leaderboard.
After Friday’s astonishing play from McIlroy, he talked about the reset needed to get back into contention.
“Once I left the property last night, I just sort of tried to leave what had happened here. You know, I rushed out of here to get home to see Poppy before she went to bed. So that was sort of nice to get to see her before she went to sleep,” McIlroy said.
“Yeah, I guess that’s something that I didn’t have a few years ago, to be able to get home and have that sort of, you know, take my mind off the golf a little bit. But yeah, I just – I feel like I just did a good job of resetting.”
Bryson DeChambeau sits one-stroke behind the lead after a blazing four-under par second round on Friday. Matt Slocum/AP
DeChambeau, the LIV Golf star, for the second straight day looked like a man on a mission.
The 31-year-old spoke on the confidence he has in winning golf’s most prestigious event.
“I’d always say, to win it takes a little bit of luck and a great amount of skill set. I feel like my skill set is the same, if not a little bit better in certain aspects,” DeChambeau said.
“So I’m just going to give it my absolute best, and whatever happens, happens. And I’m okay with whatever does happen. Because ultimately, it’s not – it’s not everything but it would be amazing to win. It’s just more, continue to keep putting myself in positions like this.”
Amongst the others still vying for a win sees Canadian Corey Conners, who sits tied for third place at 6-under par.
Multiple golfers including Tyrell Hatton, Matt McCarty, Shane Lowry and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler sit at tied for fifth on the leaderboard.
Scheffler struggles with consistency
Scheffler finds himself in unfamiliar territory, three strokes back of the leader Rose after an inconsistent second round.
After a bogey-free Thursday, the 28-year-old bogeyed four holes in the back nine including on the 18th hole that found him ducking and diving the magnolia trees that saw him getting to his knees to knock his ball back into the fairway.
Scottie Scheffler struggled on Friday, bogeying four times in the back nine to sit three strokes back of the lead. David J. Phillip/AP
“Golf is a funny game. It’s a day-to-day thing. Yesterday I felt really sharp. Today not as sharp. Could the conditions have contributed to that? I’m sure a little bit,” Scheffler said.
“That’s what’s great about this golf course is it’s quite challenging and you get winds like that, you’ve really got to manage your expectations, manage yourself around the course. Sometimes I did a good job of that. Other times today, maybe not so good.”
Scheffler is eyeing becoming the first golfer to win back-to-back Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002 and it won’t be an easy road for him going into the weekend in Augusta, Georgia.
But if theres one thing Scheffler knows how to do, thats make a comeback and will try to do so starting at 2:10 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Bernard Langer and the others to miss the cut
His final Masters might have not ended the way he would have liked but Bernhard Langergot the send off one can only dream off.
The two-time Masters champion missed the cut after bogeying the 18th hole to put him at 3-over par for the weekend, just narrowingly missing the +2 cut line and etching his name in history as the oldest player to make the Masters cut, a record Fred Couples set in 2023.
The 67-year-old previously announced it would be his final Masters after playing in the tournament 41 times prior.
Following the final hole, Langer took off his visor and saluted the applauding crowd at Augusta National. He was then met by Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley before catching up with his family and walking into the clubhouse a final time.
Bernhard Langer, playing in his final Masters, waves at crowd after just missing the cut. Harry How/Getty Images
“There were lots of standing ovations throughout the golf course in various spots. Today coming up 18 was mixed emotions because I was still inside the cut line, and even when I made bogey, I wasn’t sure I’m totally out of there or not because I actually thought 3-over would make the cut, as windy as it was today,” Langer said.
“So there were lots of emotions flooding through my mind the last two days as I was walking down the fairways. I saw my wife, I saw my four kids, and I saw two of my grandkids came out and supported me, and friends from Germany and family from Germany. Just even friends from all over the world, literally, were walking a few holes with me. It meant a great deal.”
Among Langer – Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Keegan Bradley and Couples did not make it to the weekend at the tournament.
Tom Kim will get the third round of the 2025 Masters started, teeing off at 9:50 a.m.ET on Saturday and the tournament runs through Sunday.
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