Champion golfer Jarrod Lyle has returned to hospital for a third fight against cancer.
Jarrod's wife, Briony Lyle, confirmed that the Victorian had begun chemotherapy at Royal Melbourne Hospital after tests confirmed the return of acute myeloid leukemia.
“A routine blood test conducted earlier this week returned abnormal results and Jarrod was immediately admitted to hospital and placed under the care of his previous medical specialist," Briony said.
"We're not sure how long (chemotherapy) will be for. The aim of it is to get him into remission.
"The doctor said it is a curative intent – the aim is to provide some sort of a cure. They're still doing quite a few more tests. He will require another transplant and it does sound as if the technology has come a long way in the past five years.
"He's got a good track record and that's what everyone keeps reminding themselves. He's done it before, why not a third time? That's the goal."
Lyle was first diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia as a 17-year-old and was declared in remission two years later in 2000. After a stellar decade on the Australasian, Nationwide and PGA Tours, he suffered a relapse in 2012 and fought for his life at the same time his first daughter, Lusi, was born.
Having beaten cancer a second time, the Victorian returned to the United States in 2015 to use his medical exemption in an attempt to win back his US PGA Tour card. Having missed that opportunity, he came in 2016 to live in Torquay and be permanently with his wife Briony, Lusi and second daughter Jemma, born last year.
Lyle had been planning to play events on the PGA Tour of Australasia and pro-ams around the country, but will now take an indefinite break from a playing career that has yielded two professional victories and representation of Australia at the 2004 Eisenhower Trophy as an amateur.