Sydney: Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle has moved into palliative care and is bracing for the worst after ceasing treatment for cancer, sparking an outpouring of sadness Wednesday from fellow players.
The 36-year-old former US PGA Tour stalwart said his body could take no more, after a third battle with acute myeloid leukaemia, which returned last year.
“Earlier today (Tuesday) Jarrod made the decision to stop active treatment and begin palliative care. He has given everything that he’s got to give, and his poor body cannot take anymore. We’ll be taking him closer to home in the next couple of days so he can finally leave the hospital,” his wife Briony said in Lyle’s social media pages.
Lyle, who has two kids, overcame acute myeloid leukaemia as a 17-year-old before suffering a recurrence in 2012. That diagnosis was delivered when he sought treatment from his local doctor for an infection from an insect bite he sustained in Mexico. He made his return to professional golf at the Australian Masters in November 2013.
“We all love Jarrod. He’s such a good bloke. It’s not fair he’s going through this,” said former World No.1 and fellow Australian Jason Day.
Another Australian, Adam Scott, said, “He is one of the best blokes there is. 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.”
Major winner Ernie Els tweeted, “We are thinking and praying for you and your family now more than ever.”
