Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle has made the heartbreaking decision to enter palliative care after a long fight with cancer and will spend his final days surrounded by loved ones.

The 36-year-old has been battling a third bout of cancer since a recurrence of acute myeloid leukaemia last year.

There has been an outpouring of sadness from golf fans around the world after wife Briony updated Lyle’s social media pages on Tuesday night.

Briony had been regularly posting updates on her husband’s deteriorating health in recent months, but her latest update to his followers on Facebook and Instagram confirmed the worst possible news.

“Earlier today Jarrod made the decision to stop active treatment and begin palliative care,” Briony wrote.

“He has given everything that he’s got to give, and his poor body cannot take anymore.

“We’ll be taking him closer to home in the next couple of days so he can finally leave the hospital.

“We have done our best to ‘control’ the narrative surrounding Jarrod’s illness and treatment, and as more and more people become involved in this final process I’m not sure how much longer this development will remain private.

Briony said her husband was grateful for the thousands if well wishes sent to him but had given up hope for a positive outcome.

“But he has reached his limit, and the [doctors] have finally agreed that they can no longer strive for a positive outcome,” she said.

“My focus as of today is on our girls and doing whatever I can to get them through the challenges ahead.

“Jarrod will be closer to them very soon, and will spend as much time as he can with them.

Briony said she would post details of a memorial service “when appropriate”.

“In the meantime we ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time,” she said.

Jarrod Lyle hugs his daughter Lusi at the 2013 Australian Masters. Photo: Getty

A very emotional Adam Scott joined a chorus of Australian golfers sending heartfelt support to Lyle after the news.

Speaking at Ohio’s Firestone Country Club ahead of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, former world No.1 Scott said Lyle has been an inspiration for 20 years.

Lyle courageously beat cancer, in 1998 as a teenager and again in 2012, and returned to play professional golf.

“I can’t imagine being in that position; it’s unthinkable,” Scott said.

“He is one of the best blokes there is. Given all the difficulties he’s had since his late teens, he has lived the best life he could with the tough cards he has been dealt.

“His positivity and general demeanour has been so good and so infectious on others; it’s a good way to think of how I should live my life.

Former world No.1 Jason Day said the news hit him hard given Day’s mother Dening was treated for lung cancer last year and his father Alvin died of stomach cancer when Day was young.

Jarrod Lyle and Jason Day joke around before teeing off at an event in 2010. Photo: AAP

“It puts things in perspective,” Day said.

“We are out here trying to compete but at the end of the day there is life and family we need to be there for.

“We all love Jarrod. He’s such a good bloke. It’s not fair he’s going through this.”

Meanwhile, three-time US Tour winner Marc Leishman was also emotional.

“I’m absolutely gutted for the whole family, Briony and the kids,” Leishman said.

“It’s been a hard road for Jarrod for so long, and he has fought so hard.”

Lyle made an emotional comeback to the course during the 2013 Australian Masters before trying his luck at using a medical exemption to win his PGA Tour card back in 2015.

The PGA Tour set-up a fund to help Briony and their two children Lusi and Jemma with medical costs throughout his health battles.

Lyle grew up in the regional Victorian city of Shepparton and still has family and many friends living there.

-with AAP