Tadd Fujikawa, who at the age of 15 became the youngest to qualify for the US Open in 2006, became gay.

Outsports.com said Fujikawa is one of the first professional golfers to go out publicly and be the first American player to do it.

Fujikawa, 27, was publicly released Tuesday on social media, citing World Suicide Prevention Day behind his calendar. He started the job with "So … I'm gay."

"Although it is much more accepted in today's society, we still see children, teenagers and adults being ridiculed and discriminated against as we are," he wrote on Instagram. "Some have even taken their lives because of this, as long as these things happen, I will continue to do my best to raise awareness and fight for equality."

Fujikawa said that the influence of openly gay people in the eyes of the public has helped him to find a personal acceptance, and he hopes that his ad will do the same for others.

"I thought I did not need to go out because it does not matter if someone knows it," Fujikawa said. "But I remember how much the stories of others helped me in my darkest moments to have hope. I spent way too much time pretending, hiding and hating who I was. I've always been scared of what others would think / say. I have suffered from my mental health for many years because of this and it has put me in a very bad place.

"Now, I am defending myself and the rest of the LGBTQ community in the hope of being a source of inspiration and making a difference in someone's life."

See this post on Instagram

* PLEASE READ * Coincidentally, today is World Suicide Prevention Day. However, I was going to share this independently. So … I'm gay. Many of you already know it. I do not expect everyone to understand or accept me. But please, be kind enough not to push your beliefs on me or anyone else in the LGBTQ community. My hope is that this post will inspire each and every one of you to be more empathetic and loving towards each other. I came and went for a while about my sexuality. I thought I did not need to go out because it does not matter if anyone knows it. But I remember how much the stories of others helped me in my darkest moments to have hope. I spent way too much time pretending, hiding and hating who I was. I've always been scared of what others would think / say. I have suffered from my mental health for many years because of this and it has put me in a very bad place. Now, I am defending myself and the rest of the LGBTQ community in the hope of being a source of inspiration and making a difference in someone's life. Although it is much more accepted in our society today, we still see children, teenagers and adults being ridiculed and discriminated against just like us. Some even took their lives because of it. As long as these things continue to happen, I will continue to do my best to raise awareness and fight for equality. Whether LGBTQ is what you support or not, we need to liberate ourselves and encourage each other to be our best self, no matter what it may be. This is the only way to make this world better for future generations. I do not want this to focus on me. I just want to spread the love and acceptance to those who are in a similar situation. If anyone has any difficulties, do not hesitate to contact me. YOU ARE LOVED AND YOU ARE ENOUGH … AS IT IS, EXACTLY AS YOU ARE! Wait I can not wait for the day when we can all live without feeling different and excluded. A time when we do not have to go out, we can love the way we want to love and not be ashamed. We are all human and equal after all. So I challenge you … spreads love. Let's do our part to make this world a better place.

A post shared by Tadd Fujikawa (@ taddy808) on

Since his release, Mr. Fujikawa told Outsports that the golfer community has embraced him with open arms, stressing that "the love and support were incredible".

In 2007, Fujikawa became the youngest player in nearly 50 years to cut the PGA Tour. Fujikawa, who won the Hawaii State Open in 2017, participated in mini-tours and qualifying tournaments across the country.