Aussie golfer Jarrod Lyle dies, age 36

Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle has died after a long battle with cancer.

Lyle, 36, spent his final days surrounded by loved ones when he decided to go into palliative care after ending treatment for myeloid leukaemia.

A winner of two professional tournaments, Lyle returned to golf in 2013 having beaten cancer a second time before his latest diagnosis.

He is survived by his wife Briony, and daughters Lusi, 6, and Jemma, 2.

“It breaks my heart to tell everyone that Jarrod is no longer with us,” Briony said in a statement on Thursday.

“He passed away peacefully at 8.20pm last night, having spent his final week in Torquay among his family and close friends.

“Lusi, Jemma and I are filled with grief and now must confront our lives without the greatest husband and father we could ever have wished for.

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“At the same time, we have been blessed and overwhelmed with the messages and actions of support from around the world and feel comforted that Jarrod was able to happily impact so many people throughout his life. Our humble thanks to you all.

“Jarrod was able to take in many of the unbelievably kind and generous acts and words in his final few days and was overwhelmed by the emotional outpouring.

“He asked that I provide a simple message: `Thanks for your support, it meant the world. My time was short, but if I’ve helped people think and act on behalf of those families who suffer through cancer, hopefully it wasn’t wasted.’

“We will hold an intimate and private family service in the coming days.

“There will be a public memorial service at The Sands in Torquay at a date to be announced later.

“As per Jarrod’s wish, please donate to Challenge in lieu of gifts or flowers.”

‘Overwhelmed’ by outpouring of support

Last week, Lyle thanked friends and fans in an emotional message after deciding to halt his treatment, saying he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.

His plight has seen goodwill messages from across the globe, including from fans, players and even movie superstar Dwayne Johnson.

“I feel like I’m the luckiest golfer going around because so many people took an interest in me and took an interest in, I guess, my fight,” Lyle, breathing heavily, said in an audio clip on Inside The Ropes.

He thanked his many “friends around the world, whether they’re spectators, whether they’re golfers, whether they’re marshals”.

“It’s going to be hard to leave that behind, but they know that I love them.

“They know that all the fighting that I did do was to get back out and play golf again.”

Lyle overcame leukaemia as a 17-year-old before suffering a recurrence in 2012.

He won that battle and made his return to professional golf at the Australian Masters in November 2013. But his health deteriorated again in recent months.

“It’s going to be hard but, at some point, it’s going to happen and they’ll get on with their lives,” he said of his family and friends last week. “I just feel very, very lucky.”

Lyle joined the PGA Tour in 2007 and managed a handful of top-10 finishes.

Golfers around the world have paid tribute, with Australian great Greg Norman last Thursday saying he was “absolutely devastated”.

“Jarrod — you have exemplified strength and courage for your wife and beautiful daughters, for Australia and for the golf community that has walked this road with you for many years,” he tweeted.

“The world will be less without you. Godspeed my friend.”