They broke the bad news to Jarrod Lyle when he was just 17 years old.
Acute myeloid leukemia was what they called it and he had it.
How’s that for a load dropped on a teenager with big-time golf dreams?
Jarrod Lyle didn’t flinch. He held on to those dreams for nearly 20 years but leukemia and other forms of cancer held on to him and wouldn’t let go.
They’ve been pumping all manner of poison and radiation into Lyle’s body his entire adult life.
This week his body basically said “no more.” That’s what happens. They try to kill the cancers, but in the process, kill your internal organs if the treatments persist over a long period of time.
Lyle has been the face of “never give up” on and off the PGA Tour, the Web.com Tour and the Australasian Tour. He’s the big Aussie with the big smile, all 6-2 of him. Treatments have cut the weight off of his body and basically wrecked his body in the process.
Unless you follow golf incredibly close, you may not know that he won twice on the Web.com — the Mexican Open and Knoxville Open — both in 2008. His health was a constant battle as he moved between the PGA Tour and the Web.com.
Finally, his body would accept no more poison (chemotherapy), no more radiation.
Jarrod will now spend his days with wife Briony and his small children — Lusi and Jemma.
He doesn’t have much time.
He’s now going into what they call “palliative” care. That basically means they make you as comfortable as possible for the time you have left.
Jarrod probably doesn’t have a lot of time.
Life dealt him the toughest of hands and he’s played it out as well as he could.
All he wants is to enjoy his remaining days.
“When it’s appropriate, I will post details of a memorial service,” his wife wrote.
A tough ending to a tough battle.
Good on ‘ya, Jarrod Lyle.
