Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, the winningest Japanese golf professional in history, passed away Dec. 23 at the age of 78.

Nicknamed for his stout physical presence and prodigious length off the tee, Ozaki amassed 94 career victories on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) – 43 more than his closest rival, fellow World Golf Hall of Fame member Isao Aoki. Included were six Japan PGA Championships and five Japan Open titles. Ozaki also led the Tour in earnings a record 12 times, highlighted by a five-year run from 1994-1998, and was ranked among the top 10 on the Official World Golf Ranking for nearly 200 weeks.

Ozaki’s exploits may have been lesser known on the world stage, as he competed and won mostly in Japan. But he was a larger-than-life figure in his home country and was largely credited with renewed popularity of the game and the JGTO with his go-for-broke playing style and charisma. He even branched out to become a recording artist, with three singles reaching the Japanese pop charts in the late '80s. His two younger brothers, Naomichi ("Joe") and Tateo ("Jet"), were successful in their own right, finishing among the JGTO’s all-time money winners.

Born on Jan. 24, 1947, in Tokushima, Jumbo actually didn’t start out as a professional golfer. He was an outstanding pitcher in baseball, first leading his high school to the national championship and then playing professionally for three years. He then switched to golf and in 1973 and at the age of 26, won his first Tour event. And he kept winning, until age 55 when he claimed his 94th JGTO title.

When all was said and done, Ozaki had won more than 110 tournaments as a professional. Ozaki played in more than 80 PGA TOUR events including the 1996 Presidents Cup. Though he didn’t win in the U.S. during limited play, he did have top-10 finishes in the Masters (T8, 1973), U.S. Open (T6, 1989) and The Open Championship (T10, 1979).

Ozaki was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.