%20(13).avif)
.jpg)
Tadd grew up in Honolulu and was barely tall enough to see over a driver when he made history. At fifteen, he qualified for the U.S. Open. A year later, he made the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii, becoming one of the youngest players ever to do it. Overnight, he was the smiling kid everyone in golf seemed to know.
What came next wasn’t the dream version. The attention faded, the pressure stayed, and his twenties became a long stretch of trying to keep up with an identity built before he could even vote. Behind the highlight reels was a lot of struggle - depression, anxiety, and the long grind of the mini-tour life.
In 2018, Tadd came out publicly as gay, becoming the first male professional golfer to do so. It wasn’t planned. He posted on Instagram one night, went to bed, and woke up to the world talking about it. The story reached far beyond golf and gave others in the sport permission to be more honest about who they are.
These days he’s found something steadier. He teaches and plays pickleball at Sea Island, still competitive, still coaching, just without the constant weight of performance. He talks about joy, identity, and the value of keeping life simple. Golf built him, but it doesn’t define him anymore.
Tadd's story is about what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket, and that basket happens to be golf.
For years, golf was everything. His structure, his purpose, his entire measuring stick for whether he was doing life right. When your worth depends on scorecard results, every bad shot becomes personal. Every missed cut feels like proof you're not enough.
Walking away from that world took time. He had to learn how to exist without a scoreboard telling him who he was, which sounds simple but turns out to be surprisingly difficult when you've spent your entire life playing competitive golf. That process built a different kind of confidence. The kind that comes from showing up rather than performing. From being yourself rather than being good at something.
When he came out, it was a simple act of honesty that carried enormous weight. The response reminded him that people connect with truth far more than they connect with perfection.
Tadd's story shows that identity works best when it stretches. When it can hold change, growth, and new passions like pickleball or community work. What lasts is the bit underneath. The part built on honesty, connection, and the freedom to be fully yourself. Not the highlight reel version, just the actual version.
If parts of Tadd’s story connect with you, these might help:
Identity and Self-Worth – Mind has a guide on self-esteem and how to rebuild confidence when your sense of self feels shaken.
🔗 mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/self-esteem
LGBTQ+ Support – Switchboard offers free, confidential listening and information for LGBTQ+ people across the UK.
🔗 switchboard.lgbt
Coming Out Support – Stonewall provides practical advice and resources for navigating sexuality and identity.
🔗 stonewall.org.uk
LGBTQ+ Support (US) – The Trevor Project offers 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ young people in the United States.
🔗 thetrevorproject.org
Therapy and Support Options – NHS Talking Therapies lets you self-refer for free counselling in England.
🔗 nhs.uk/talking-therapies
Helpline (24/7) – Call Samaritans on 116 123 if you need someone to talk to right now.
🔗 samaritans.org
If You’re Struggling Right Now (24/7) –
• UK: Call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
• US: Dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988lifeline.org)
• Worldwide: Find verified helplines in your country at findahelpline.com
.jpg)
.avif)
.jpg)
.avif)
.avif)
