'The luckiest golfer': Jarrod Lyle releases heartfelt message to fans
Jarrod Lyle has thanked the golfing world for all their support in a devastating but heartfelt message released after the news that he would enter palliative care.
The 36-year-old and his family made this week made the decision to cease active cancer treatment and begin palliative care.
Lyle has been fighting a third battle with cancer since a recurrence of acute myeloid leukaemia last year.
But as his condition deteriorated, with the Victorian partially losing eyesight and experiencing speech difficulties, wife Briony announced the devastating decision.
In a short clip released on Golf Australia’s podcast, Lyle bravely sent a message to his fans.
“I feel like I’m the luckiest golfer going around, because so many people took an interest in me and took an interest in my fight,” he said.
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“To have so many friends around the world, whether they’re spectators, whether they’re golfers, whether they’re marshals, whatever, to have that kind of support to go to every tournament, it’s a great feeling.
“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 there to play golf again.
“To have that support from all those people was just a tremendous feeling. It’s going to be hard but at some point it’s going to happen and they’ll get on their lives and it’s just, yeah. I just feel very, very lucky.”
Lyle first diagnosed with leukaemia as a teenager in 1999.
It relapsed in 2012 but he fought courageously to return to play professional golf in Australia and on the US Tour.
Golfers around the world paid tribute to Lyle on Wednesday.
“He is one of the best blokes there is,” Adam Scott said
“Given all the difficulties he’s had since his late teens, he has lived the best life he could with the tough cards he has been dealt.
“He played such good golf while battling illness; he has been through it all.
“His positivity and general demeanour has been so good and so infectious on others; it’s a good way to think of how I should live my life.”
Jason Day said the news hit him hard.
His mother was treated for lung cancer last year, and as a child he lost his dad to stomach cancer.
“It’s hard news to take and it is so unfortunate,” Day said.
“It puts things in perspective. We are out here trying to compete but at the end of the day there is life and family we need to be there for.
“We all love Jarrod. He’s such a good bloke. It’s not fair he’s going through this.”
Marc Leishman, another golfer from the Victorian country, paid tribute to Lyle and his family.
“I’m absolutely gutted for the whole family, Briony and the kids,” Leishman said.
“It’s been a hard road for Jarrod for so long, and he has fought so hard.
“He has always been the life of the party. He is a larger than life character and an inspiration to so many of us.”
Sydney native and former Web.com Tour winner Ewan Porter said Lyle’s colourful personality was essential as the pair climbed the ranks of American golf together.
“I’m a better man for having Jarrod Lyle in my life,” Porter said.
“At the Australian Open, he came into the commentary box and even then his spirits were so high.
“The way he has fought through such tumultuous times is such a huge credit to himself and his beautiful family.”