Professional golfer Tadd Fujikawa, 27, came out publicly on World Suicide Prevention Day.
“Now I’m standing up for myself and the rest of the LGBTQ community in hopes of being an inspiration and making a difference in someone’s life,” he wrote on Instagram on September 10.
While lesbian pros have been coming out for decades, Fujikawa is the first male pro to do so.
Fujikawa had the distinction in 2006 of being the youngest player ever to qualify for the US Open, played at Winged Foot in Westchester County that year. He turned pro at 16 and played in 14 tournaments, including finishing tied for 19th in the 2012 Sony Open before playing the mini-tours (minor leagues) for 10 years. Last year, he won the Hawaiian Open and opened up about his struggle with depression.
After declaring himself, he told Outsports, “Now I can be the best version of me.”
