Pro golfer Jarrod Lyle dead of cancer at age 36
Jarrod Lyle pictured in 2015, when he played on the PGA Tour using a medical exemption. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)
Australian professional golfer Jarrod Lyle has died after a long battle with cancer, his wife announced Wednesday. He was 36.
"It breaks my heart to tell everyone that Jarrod is no longer with us," Briony Lyle, said in a statement. "He passed away peacefully at 8.20 p.m. last night having spent his final week among his family and close friends."
Last week, Lyle and his family announced that he had decided to end his treatment for acute myeloid leukemia and would undergo palliative care at his home.
Briony Lyle said her husband had asked her to pass on 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.'"
JARROD LYLE ENDS CANCER TREATMENT, FOCUSES ON PALLIATIVE CARE
Lyle, a two-time winner on the Nationwide Tour (now the Web.com Tour), was first diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 17 and suffered recurrences in 2012 and 2017. He underwent a bone marrow transplant in December of last year.
He returned to competitive golf in 2013 after apparently having beaten cancer for a second time. He made an emotional comeback at the 2013 Australian Masters in Melbourne before using a medical exemption to play on the U.S. PGA Tour in 2015. He played four seasons on the U.S. tour, where he earned $1.875 million in 121 tournaments.
News of Lyle's death prompted an outpouring from his fellow pros on social media.
"Such a sad day, we will all miss you so much Jarrod," tweeted 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose. "Thinking of his family at this time."
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Lyle family," wrote Masters champion Patrick Reed. "You were and always will be a fighter and will be missed by so many people."
Lyle is survived by Briony and daughters Lusi, 6, and Jemma, 2.
"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," Briony Lyle said.
"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."
The family said a private family service would be held in the coming days with a public memorial service in Torquay, near Melbourne in Victoria state, at a later date.
At Bellerive County Club outside of St. Louis, Bryson DeChambeau announced Tuesday that he would donate his $25,000 prize in the PGA Championship Long Drive competition to the Lyle family.
"I just thought it would be the right thing to give [the money] to Lusi and Jemma," DeChambeau said. "They deserve that and they need that more than anything right now."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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