Professional golfer Tadd Fujikawa has come out as gay in a post on social media. The golfer chose now to reveal his true self in order to inspire others and to “pay it forward.”

He writes: “I thought that I didn’t need to come out because it doesn’t matter if anyone knows. But I remember how much other’s stories have helped me in my darkest times to have hope. I spent way too long pretending, hiding, and hating who I was. I was always afraid of what others would think/say. I’ve struggled with my mental health for many years because of that and it put me in a really bad place. 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.”

The Hawaiian-born Fujikawa became the youngest player in US Open history when he began over a decade ago. He qualified back in 2006 for the US Open and went pro the next year and toured many golf championships. [OutSports]