Lyle up for his latest battle
GOLFING good-guy Jarrod Lyle is positive he can beat cancer for a third time after routine blood tests on Monday found the disease had returned.
Lyle, 35, has twice battled and beaten acute myeloid leukaemia – first as a teenager in 1998 and then again in 2012 when he was forced to put his professional career on the lucrative US PGA Tour on hold.
Twice a tournament winner in the US, Lyle, originally from Shepparton in Victoria, had become a part-time pro in the last 12 months to spend more time with wife Briony and daughters Lucy and Jemma at their Torquay home after his second recovery.
His last event was in May when he finished 45th in the West Australian PGA in Kalgoorlie.
He was still in shock yesterday after confirmation he faced a third cancer fight but Briony said advancements in treatment technology and a positive outlook from doctors had the family hopeful.
Lyle began an immediate course of chemotherapy and will remain in the Royal Melbourne Hospital for treatment.
“He’s got a good track record, and that’s what everyone keeps reminding us of, that he’s done it before, so why not a third time. That’s certainly the goal,” Briony said.
“There’s going to be quite an intensive course of treatment. We are not sure how long it will be for. The aim is to get him into remission, and then they’ll be looking to perform another transplant of some sort.
“The aim is to provide some sort of a cure, which is positive for all of us.
“It sounds as though the technology has already come a long way in the five years since we last went through this and we have some options available to us that were not available, or even invented, a few years ago.
“The doctors are quite optimistic.”
The Lyle family was overwhelmed with wellwishers from the world golf community, including plenty of his fellow competitors.
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman threw his support behind Lyle’s fight.
“He inspired us all when he returned to competing professionally following a second fight with the devastating illness,” Mr Kirkman said.
“We’re all behind Jarrod and his young family, we’re hoping for positive news in the coming days.”
From his hospital bed Lyle responded to some of those wellwishers on social media, declaring he would “give it a smashing”.
“He is still in shock and we all are,” Briony said.
“I can’t decide if it’s a blessing that we already have an experience with this, we kind of know what’s about to happen.”