Professional golfer Tadd Fujikawa came out this week, and he’s now the only out male pro-golfer in the U.S.
On Instagram, Fujikawa wrote, “So… I’m gay.”
Fujikawa, who has been public about his struggle with depression and anxiety, wrote that that that comes from having to hide who he is.
“I spent way too long pretending, hiding, and hating who I was,” he wrote. “I’ve struggled with my mental health for many years because of that and it put me in a really bad place.”
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Now he hopes that his story will make a difference for someone else.
“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 said that the reaction has been positive since coming out this week.
“The love and support have been overwhelming,” he said. “I’m so glad that I came out. I can finally be the best version of me.”
He said that he knew he was gay for a long time but that he “tried to convince myself to be straight for a long time.”
Fujikawa first qualified for the U.S. Open in 2006 when he was just 15-years-old. At 16, he went pro.
Last December, he won the Hawaii State Open after announcing that he was struggling with depression and anxiety.
