Biography

Ozaki was born in Kaifu District, Tokushima. He was a professional baseball pitcher/outfielder from 1965 to 1967 with the Nishitetsu Lions, but 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 1973-74, 1977, 1988-90, 1992, and 1994-98. Ozaki finished 8th at The Masters in 1973 and finished 6th at the U.S. Open in 1989. 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 seven in one year. 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. Ozaki's brothers Tateo "Jet" and Naomichi "Joe" are also professional golfers. Now in his sixties, he still plays regularly on the Japan Golf Tour.

Professional wins

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
• 1975 (1) Tohoku Classic
• 1976 (3) Kanto Open, Hiroshima Open, Sanpo Classic
• 1977 (4) Pepsi-Wilson Tournament, Kanto Open, Tokai Classic, Nippon Series
• 1978 (2) Pepsi-Wilson Tournament, Hiroshima Open
• 1980 (3) Dunlop International Open, Fujisankei Classic, 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, 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 Digest Tournament, Miki Gold Cup (tie with Billy Casper), Setouchi Series Hiroshima leg
• 1972 (9) Wizard, Sapporo Open, Kanto Open, All Nippon Doubles, Nippon Series, Grand Monaco, First Flight, Chiba Open, Asahi International
• 1976 (1) Chiba Open
• 1984 (1) Kanagawa Open
• 1985 (1) Kanagawa Open
• 1992 (1) Sanko Grand Summer Tournament

Results in major championships

Tournament	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Masters Tournament	CUT	T8	CUT	T43	T33	DNP	CUT	CUT
U.S. Open	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T14	T10
PGA Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

Tournament	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
Masters Tournament	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	CUT	DNP	T18
U.S. Open	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T17	CUT	T6
The Open Championship	T60	T35	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T11	DNP	T40
PGA Championship	DNP	CUT	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

Tournament	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Masters Tournament	23	T35	DNP	T45	CUT	T29	CUT	42	CUT	CUT	T28
U.S. Open	T24	CUT	T23	T33	T28	T28	T67	CUT	CUT	CUT	DNP
The Open Championship	CUT	DNP	CUT	DNP	T38	CUT	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	T69	DNP	DNP	DNP	T47	T49	CUT	DNP	CUT	DNP	78

DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

top-10

Team appearances

This list may be incomplete.

• World Cup (representing Japan): 1974, 1988
• Four Tours World Championship: 1986 (winners), 1987, 1989
• Presidents Cup (International team): 1996

[ Source: Wikipedia ]