In 2006 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., 15-year-old Tadd Fujikawa became the youngest qualifier in U.S. Open history. To represent his remarkable achievement, Fujikawa donated the ball he used on the first hole of the championship to the USGA Golf Museum. Following the 2006 U.S. Open, Fujikawa made history again at the Sony Open when he became the youngest person in 50 years to make the cut in a PGA Tour event. After winning the Mid-Pacific Open in Hawaii, his home state, Fujikawa decided to turn professional at the age of 16. He defended his Mid-Pacific Open title in 2009 and then won the Hawaii State Open in 2010.
Despite his early success, Fujikawa did not have the traditionally prolific career his impressive start may have foreshadowed. However, he has left a lasting mark on the golf community. In an Instagram post in 2018, Fujikawa came out as gay, becoming the first male professional golfer to do so. Fujikawa’s decision to come out was fueled by his desire to help others. In an interview with Golf World, Fujikawa said: “My purpose in life is more than golf. Golf is a huge part of it, but what drives me is my passion to change lives, and I want to empower people to be their best.”
Fujikawa’s golf ball resides in the Museum collection alongside hundreds of golf balls marking significant championship moments, including Alex Smith’s ball from the 1906 U.S. Open, the golf balls used by Francis Ouimet, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at the 1913 U.S. Open, and Bob Jones’ ball from the 1930 U.S. Amateur when he won the Grand Slam. The Museum’s golf ball collection also includes historical examples of the diverse types of golf balls used throughout the game’s history.
Kylie Garabed is the USGA Museum’s junior curator of collections. Email her at kgarabed@usga.org