Jarrod Lyle says golf is &aposinsignificant&apos compared to pending fatherhood, but it may prove to be his main focus over the next three days after he took the clubhouse lead following the early rounds of the Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes. The affable Aussie shot a seven-under 65 in windy conditions to hold a one-shot advantage over American Dustin Johnson. The round has set Lyle up for a shot at the Stonehaven Cup against the best field seen at the Open in years, but it&aposs a much bigger &aposprize&apos that awaits early next year. A cancer survivor, 30-year-old will become a father in March years after doctors told him it was a near impossibility. “I got engaged this year (and) my finance is pregnant,” he revealed minutes after his opening round. “The pregnancy side of things is something I never knew could happen.” “I was always told by my doctors that fertility could be an issue after all the chemotherapy and stuff.” “To hear that Briony was pregnant made golf seem insignificant.” “Those bad days don&apost affect you anymore. I ve got a little bub on the way. I feel that nothing can really worry me now.” The &aposbad days&apos have been all too common during Lyle&aposs rollercoaster career. He has been on and off the US PGA tour over the years, losing his card and winning it back before losing it again. He will return to America later this month to contest the US Tour school in the hope of regaining his PGA card. “On the course it&aposs been a really, really rough year and off the course it&aposs been awesome,” Lyle said. “It&aposs weird how it works itself out.” “I&aposve played solid all year but haven&apost really achieved anything.” “I&aposm good for a couple of days and then bad for a couple of weeks.” On the cut-throat fight for survival during the six-round US Tour School, Lyle said: “A lot of people have called it hell on earth, which it is.” “You can allow yourself a mediocre round but you can&apost allow yourself to have a bad round.” “One bad round will take you out of it completely.” For now the focus is very much on cashing in on his start at the Australian Open. Lyle made the most of the calm conditions at The Lakes, carding five birdies and an eagle (on the par 5 14th) on the way to his best round of the year. “I&aposm happy with the way the week&aposs started and I can&apost wait to get back out there tomorrow,” he said. “But there are still three days to go. Seven under is not going to win this golf tournament.” “I ve got to try to get whatever number it is that wins. I can t rest on what happened today.” “I have to go and build. That s golf. You never win on the first day (but) you can lose it.”
Author: Adam Lucius, Sportal