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Tadd Fujikawa

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Tadd Fujikawa
Personal information
Full nameTadd Fujikawa
Born (1991-01-08) January 8, 1991 (age 33)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Height5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)
Weight150 lb (68 kg; 11 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceHonolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Career
CollegeNone
Turned professional2007
Former tour(s)PGA Tour Canada
eGolf Professional Tour
Hooters Tour
Professional wins6
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenCUT: 2006
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Tadd Fujikawa (born January 8, 1991) is an American professional golfer. Playing as an amateur at age 15, he qualified for the 2006 U.S. Open, the youngest golfer ever to do so. In 2007, at age 16 and 4 days, he made the cut in a PGA Tour event at the Sony Open in Hawaii, the second youngest player to ever achieve that feat. As of April 2013, he is the third youngest. In September 2018, Fujikawa came out as gay, becoming the first male professional golfer to do so.[1][2][3]

Early life

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Fujikawa was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was born three months premature and doctors gave him a 50-50 chance of survival. He weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces and was so small that he could fit in his grandfather's palm. His parents worried that he would grow up with a mental disability.[4] Partially as a result of his premature birth, at age 18 Fujikawa stood 5 feet 1 inch (1.55 m) tall. As of March 2007 he stated his weight was 150 pounds.[5]

Amateur career

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In 2006 aged 15, Fujikawa qualified for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot by winning the Hawaii sectional qualifier(67-69-136), becoming the youngest player in history to qualify for the tournament. At the U.S. Open, Fujikawa shot 81-77(158) and missed the cut by nine strokes.[6]

Fujikawa made his second PGA Tour start (2006 U.S. Open was the first) at the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii, having gained entry by shooting 67 in the Open Qualifier PGA Tour Exemption Category #17.[7][8] In the second round of the Sony Open itself, Fujikawa became the youngest player in nearly 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut. A birdie on the 16th hole put him within the cut line, but it was his 15-foot eagle on the 18th hole that was his most memorable shot of the day. With that shot, Fujikawa secured a 4-under-par 66 and made the cut by three shots.[9]

Fujikawa followed up his history-making cut by shooting a second straight 66 in the third round, a score which, on that day, was bettered only by tournament leader Charles Howell III. Fujikawa made a 51-foot birdie on the 11th hole, finishing the third round tied for eighth place, along with Chad Campell and Tom Pernice Jr.[10]

Fujikawa shot 2-over-72 in Sunday's final round, which only included 2 birdies. He finished the tournament tied for 20th place at 5-under-275.[11]

One month after his record-breaking showing at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Fujikawa won the Hawaii Pearl Open, Hawaii's most lucrative local golf tournament, held annually since 1979. Fujikawa was the first amateur since 1992 to win the tournament.[12][13][14]

Professional career

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2007

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On July 12, 2007, Fujikawa announced that he would be turning pro.[15][16] He made his debut at the Reno-Tahoe Open where he missed the cut.[17]

After missing the cut in each of his first three events as a professional, Fujikawa recorded a hole in one on the 17th hole in the first round of this Nationwide Tour event. He went on to shoot 70 and 71 in the first two rounds and missed the cut again, this time by 3 strokes.

In September 2007, he hit an albatross at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland on the European Tour. It was not enough to make the cut though.[18] He also missed the cut at the Children's Miracle Network Classic which was the last official 2007 PGA Tour event.

2008

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On April 20, 2008, Fujikawa made his first cut as a professional and earned his first professional victory by winning the 50th annual Mid-Pacific Open in Hawaii. The Mid-Pacific Open is tournament run by the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Hawaii, with a mixed field of amateurs and professionals, mostly from Hawaii. Fujikawa's final score for the tournament was ten under-par 278. The second-place finisher was former PGA Tour tournament winner, 52-year-old David Ishii. At age 17, Fujikawa became the youngest winner in tournament history.[19] The tournament is not affiliated with any organized golf tour and is played mostly by Hawaiian amateurs and professionals, both adults and juniors. Punahou High School seniors Stephanie Kono and Anna Jang also made history at the tournament as the first females to play and Kono was the first female to make a cut. Kono finished 33rd.[20][21][22]

2009

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In January 2009, Fujikawa Monday qualified for the Sony Open in Hawaii.[23] He made the cut for the second time in three years, carding 71–69 to make the cut by one shot in blustery conditions. In the third round, he shot an 8-under 62, tying the course record, and moving him to within two shots of the leader. In the fourth round, he shot 73 and finished in a tie for 32nd place. On April 19, 2009, Fujikawa successfully defended his title and earned his second professional win at the 51st annual Mid-Pacific Open.[24] Fujikawa's final score was twelve under par 276. Fujikawa won by nine shots over former PGA Tour tournament winner, David Ishii. In the first week of June, Fujikawa won another local event in Hawaii, the two-round Maui Open. In October, he went to PGA Tour Qualifying School in an attempt to earn his PGA Tour card for 2010. He failed to advance beyond the first stage of the three-stage process, missing the necessary score by six shots.[25]

2010

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In January 2010, Fujikawa missed the cut by six strokes in the Sony Open on the PGA Tour. Shortly after he joined the eGolf Professional Tour, formerly known as the Tarheel Tour, a developmental golf tour based in Charlotte, North Carolina.[26][27] Fujikawa played in four events in February and March, making the cut in all four, before withdrawing from an event in April, citing a back injury.[27][28] Two days later he said he felt fine saying, "I just slept kinda funny I guess." He accepted an invitation to play in The Crowns on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks later.[29] At The Crowns, he missed the cut by nine strokes. In December, he won the Hawaii State Open.[30]

2016

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Fujikawa qualified for PGA Tour Canada in 2016.[31]

2017

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Fujikawa won the Hawaii State Open for a second time.[32][33]

Education and personal life

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Fujikawa graduated from Moanalua High School in Honolulu, Hawaii in June 2009.[34] Earlier that year, his father Derrick had pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking;[35] in August he was sentenced to ten years in prison with eligibility for parole after one year.[36]

On September 12, 2018, Fujikawa came out as gay[37][38] during a post on Instagram, becoming the first male professional golfer to publicly come out as gay.[39][2][3]

Professional wins (1)

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eGolf Professional Tour wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 Aug 7, 2010 eGolf Tour Championship −25 (65-64-66-68=263) 9 strokes United States Matt Hendrix

Results in major championships

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Tournament 2006
U.S. Open CUT

CUT = missed the half-way cut
Note: Fujikawa only played in the U.S. Open.

Youngest ever to make the cut in a PGA Tour event

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Player Age Tournament Finish
Guan Tianlang 14 years, 5 months, 18 days 2013 Masters Tournament 58
Bob Panasik 15 years, 8 months, 20 days 1957 Canadian Open T66
Tadd Fujikawa 16 years, 4 days 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii T20
Justin Thomas 16 years, 2 months, 23 days 2009 Wyndham Championship T78
Matteo Manassero 16 years, 2 months, 29 days 2009 British Open T13
Ty Tryon 16 years, 9 months, 7 days 2001 Honda Classic T39
Jordan Spieth 16 years, 9 months, 24 days 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship T16

Sources.[40][41]

References

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  1. ^ Rudolph, Christopher (September 12, 2018). "Pro Golfer Tadd Fujiwaka Comes Out as Gay". NewNowNext.
  2. ^ a b Dethier, Dylan (September 12, 2018). "Tadd Fujikawa becomes first male pro golfer to come out as gay". Golf. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Goldberg, Rob. "Golfer Tadd Fujikawa Comes out as Gay; 1st Male Professional to Do So". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Shedloski, Dave (January 13, 2007). "Finally! The teenager makes a cut!". Golf Channel. AP. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  5. ^ Murray, Steve (March 9, 2007). "Everybody Loves Tadd". Midweek Printing. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
  6. ^ "2006 U.S. Open Championship - Full Leaderboard". YAHOO. June 18, 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  7. ^ "Exemptions". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on January 15, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  8. ^ Miller, Ann (December 19, 2006). "Moanalua's Fujikawa qualifies for Sony". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  9. ^ Ferguson, Doug (January 13, 2007). "Little man Fujikawa is huge hit at Waialae". Yahoo. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 21, 2007. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  10. ^ Ferguson, Doug (January 13, 2007). "Miracle child having dream week in PGA". Yahoo. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 20, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2007.
  11. ^ "Teens Fujikawa and Wie present quite a contrast at Sony Open". PGA Tour. Associated Press. January 14, 2007. Archived from the original on January 21, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  12. ^ Miller, Ann (February 12, 2007). "Fujikawa wins Pearl Open by a stroke". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved February 12, 2007.[permanent dead link‍]
  13. ^ "Teen Fujikawa shoots 4-under 68, wins Pearl Open". ESPN.com. February 12, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  14. ^ "Fujikawa Wins Hawaii Pearl Open Crown". February 12, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  15. ^ "Teen Star Fujikawa Turning Pro at Reno-Tahoe Open". Golf Channel. July 12, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  16. ^ Vakamudi, K. (July 12, 2007). "Tadd Fujikawa Turns Professional". Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  17. ^ "Family supportive of Tadd's 'tough decision'". Honolulu Advertiser. July 13, 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2007.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Golf-Rare albatross for American teenager Fujikawa". Reuters. September 7, 2007. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
  19. ^ "Teenager Fujikawa Wins Mid-Pacific Open for First Victory as a Pro". PGA of America. Associated Press. April 21, 2008. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  20. ^ Tang, Jason (April 18, 2008). "History Made at Mid Pacific Open". KHNL. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  21. ^ Kwon, Bill (April 3, 2008). "50th Mid-Pacific Open attracts historic field". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved April 22, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  22. ^ Morikawa, Kris (April 15, 2008). "Fujikawa among 80 pros to tee off at Mid-Pacific Open". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved April 22, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  23. ^ "Fujikawa shoots 62 to move into Sony contention". Golf Channel. Associated Press. January 17, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  24. ^ Braidwood, Ella (September 13, 2018). "Who is Tadd Fujikawa? Pro golf's first gay male player". PinkNews. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  25. ^ "Q-School already over for Fujikawa". Golfweek. October 24, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  26. ^ "Fujikawa headed for another island". Golf.com. Associated Press. January 19, 2010. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  27. ^ a b "EGolf Professional Tour 2010 - Tadd Fujikawa". eGolf Tour. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  28. ^ "Fujikawa Withdraws". The Honolulu Advertiser. April 11, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  29. ^ "Fujikawa to play in Japan". The Honolulu Advertiser. April 15, 2010. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  30. ^ "Aloha Section PGA - 2010 Turtle Bay Resort Hawaii State Open". Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  31. ^ Gilbertson, Wes (August 3, 2016). "Former teen phenom Tadd Fujikawa trying to salvage his golf career on Canada's minor-league tour". Calgary Herald. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  32. ^ Graser, Marc (December 6, 2022). "How Tadd Fujikawa Found Himself Through Sports". Lei Culture. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  33. ^ "Tadd Fujikawa wins Hawaii State Open two months after confessing to issues with 'anxiety and depression'". Golf Digest. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  34. ^ "A Tadd more by others can help". Honolulu Advertiser.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  35. ^ Teen Golfer Fujikawa's Father Pleads Guilty Yahoo Sports, February 3, 2009.
  36. ^ "Tadd Fujikawa's Father Sentenced To Prison". Kitv.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  37. ^ Bull, Andy (April 10, 2019). "'Accepted' Tadd Fujikawa enjoying golf and life again after coming out". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  38. ^ "Golf: American Fujikawa announces he is gay". Reuters. September 13, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  39. ^ Rudolph, Christopher (September 12, 2018). "Pro Golfer Tadd Fujiwaka Comes Out as Gay". Newnownext.com.
  40. ^ Durrett, Richard (May 21, 2010). "Spieth shoots 68-69 (-3) to make cut". ESPN.
  41. ^ McAllister, Mike (April 12, 2013). "Guan youngest on Tour to make cut". PGA Tour.
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