Australian golf’s greatest battler, Jarrod Lyle, can fight no longer.
A gut-wrenching message from his wife Briony overnight outlined the impending heart-breaking end to Lyle’s third fight with cancer.
“This will be the final post on Jarrod’s page. Earlier today we started palliative care for him as his body is no longer able to fight. We will take him closer to home to be near his girls. He has put up a courageous fight and he is surrounded by love.
“There is simply not enough time to get this message out to everyone individually, so for some of our really close friends and family I cannot apologise enough for breaking the news in this way. We have done our best to ‘control’ the narrative surrounding Jarrod’s illness and treatment, and as more and more people become involved in this final process I’m not sure how much longer this development will remain private.
“Jarrod knows he is loved, and the thousands of prayers and well wishes that have been sent his way have kept him going through some incredibly tough times. But he has reached his limit, and the docs have finally agreed that they can no longer strive for a positive outcome.”
After two successful bouts versus cancer, Lyle announced last year the disease had returned for a third time. In the past few months, Lyle has been stricken with a mystery illness, one that resulted in a loss of vision and put the former US PGA Tour player back in the hospital. Sadly, it appears the damage is irreversible. His family took to Instagram and Facebook, announcing that Lyle is bracing for the final stages of his life.
“My focus as of today is on our girls and doing whatever I can to get them through the challenges ahead. Jarrod will be closer to them very soon, and will spend as much time as he can with them.
“When it’s appropriate, I will post details of a memorial service. In the meantime we ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time.”
Lyle returned to hospital in May, almost six months since his third stem cell transplant to ward off leukemia.
He had previously been in great spirits about his recovery and returned home to Torquay to resume what he and Briony had thought would be a “normal” life with their daughters, Lusi and Jemma.
Lyle first battled leukemia as a teenager. It returned in 2012 during a career campaign – he had made six of seven cuts on the US PGA Tour to that point, highlighted by a T-4 at the Northern Trust Open. The 36-year-old has made 121 starts on the US PGA Tour, his last appearance coming at the 2016 Wyndham Championship. He’s currently a member of the Web.com Tour, where he owns two career wins. In 2015, Lyle was awarded the US PGA Tour’s Courage Award for his perseverance and disposition in the face of adversity.
In January, the US PGA Tour established a fund to help Lyle’s wife Briony and their two young children, Lusi and Jemma, with medical costs throughout the family’s battle. To make a non-tax-deductible gift to the Lyle family, do so directly at www.youcaring.com/januaryforjarrod. All proceeds will go directly to the family to offset day-to-day living, family and medical expenses.
The thoughts and prayers of the entire golf community are with Jarrod and his family at this difficult time.
