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Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle has spoken candidly of his return to professional golf in front of a packed news conference at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on Tuesday.
An emotional Lyle was at times in tears as he told the media of his plans post-cancer treatment, ahead of his return to competition in this week’s Australian Masters.
Despite having had limited starts to sharpen his game in the lead-up to this week, Lyle is adamant the result will have no bearing on how he gauges the success of his comeback.
“Whether I win or whether I miss the cut this week… it’s going to feel like I’ve won this tournament,” he said.
“It’s just going to be great to walk off the 18th hole in the first round or the second round or hopefully the fourth round and have her [Lyle’s daughter, Lusi] there.
“It’s a dream I’ve always had.”
The much-revered Victorian still has a battle ahead of him however, and he admits merely getting his opening tee-shot airborne will be a challenge.
“I think just walking to that first tee and teeing the ball up and trying to hit it. That’s probably going to be the hardest thing.
“I want to hit something that’s got the biggest head so I don’t miss it.
“Hopefully when that ball flies I can just get onto playing golf and put everything behind me and just get back to the golfer that I am.
“It’s going to let a whole lot of stuff out,” he said.
It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for Lyle over his journey with Leukaemia, and he expects his emotions will spill over the edge come his tee-time on Thursday.
“Obviously this week the emotional side of things is probably going to take over.
“I guarantee I will be crying walking to the first tee. I’m nearly crying now just thinking about it.”
Geoff Ogilvy has this year endured one of his less successful years on the US PGA Tour, but says Lyle’s health problems put his struggles in perspective.
“All humans have a difficult time putting themselves in a different position to what they’re in,” Ogilvy said.
“His situation is real life, and when you step back and actually think about guys like Jarrod and all the struggles like that, you definitely tick yourself off for being so shallow about golf, for sure.
“It’s nice to step back and get a bit of real word prospective, because Tour players in particular are a long way from the real world.”
Jarrod Lyle’s been entrenched in the real world for some time now, and can’t wait to immerse himself in the life of a Tour professional once again.
But he certainly isn’t rushing back if he’s not ready.
“I’m starting to feel a bit more like a golfer now, but it’s still got a fair way to go before I’m PGA Tour ready,” he said.
“It’s nice to know they [the US PGA Tour] are not putting any pressure on me to come back.
“Because if I go back and play when I’m only 80 percent then I’m wasting my time and am going to be taking a spot away from someone who is one hundred percent ready to play.
“But, you know, now having a family myself I know that golf is not the most important thing.
“My family is the most important thing.”