Friends and family farewell Jarrod Lyle

AUSTRALIAN golfer Jarrod Lyle was memorialised last week as an open-hearted, gregarious guy who loved life, golf and his friends and family.

Friday’s memorial service at the driving range of the PGA Tour golfer’s former club, Peppers The Sands Torquay, drew at least 300 people, many wearing Lyle’s signature colour of yellow.

Lyle, 36, decided on July 31 to stop treatment for cancer (the third time he had battled the disease) and enter palliative care, and moved back to Torquay. He died eight days later, on August 8.

At the service, conducted by celebrant Ian Bull, several people who knew Lyle well gave heartfelt tributes, including close friend Gareth Scott, chief executive officer of not-for-profit cancer charity Challenge David Rogers (Lyle was a long-time ambassador), fellow PGA Tour golfer Robert Allenby, Shepparton friend Mark Washington, caddy Mick Middlemo and Golf Australia chief executive officer Stephen Pitt.

Many of the speakers touched on Lyle’s love for his wife Briony and daughters Lusi (who read a short statement at the service) and Jemma.

At the end of formalities, some of the children present blew bubbles and guests were asked to repeat, at maximum volume, Lyle’s famous celebration (“You f..ing beauty!”) after his hole-in-one at the Phoenix Open on the 2011 PGA Tour.