Pro Golfer Jarrod Lyle Dead at 36

Australian athlete had battled cancer on and off for years

By Corinne Heller Aug 09, 2018 3:31 PMTags
Jarrod LyleQuinn Rooney/Getty Images

Australian pro golfer Jarrod Lyle has died at age 36 after a long battle with cancer.

His wife Briony Lyle announced the news on Thursday, saying in a statement to Golf Australia, "It breaks my heart to tell everyone that Jarrod is no longer with us. He passed away peacefully at 8.20 p.m. last night having spent his final week among his family and close friends."

Jarrod is also survived by the couple's 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 continued in her statement. "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,'" the statement said, adding, "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."

Jarrod's wife had said last week on social media that he had ended his treatment for acute myeloid leukemia and would leave a hospital and undergo palliative care while spending his final days with his family.

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"Jarrod knows he is loved, and the thousands of prayers and well wishes that have been sent his way have kept him going through some incredibly tough times. But he has reached his limit, and the docs have finally agreed that they can no longer strive for a positive outcome," she wrote on Facebook. "My focus as of today is on our girls and doing whatever I can to get them through the challenges ahead. Jarrod will be closer to them very soon, and will spend as much time as he can with them."

Jarrod had battled leukemia on and off for years and last relapsed in 2017, also suffering other complications, such as problems with his vision and infections in his ears and lungs.

Jarrod began his pro golf career in 2004. He played four years on the PGA Tour, in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. In recent years, he played competitively in his native Australia.