Despite being "exhausted" following his Australian Masters exploits, a rejuvenated and refreshed Lyle has now returned to business, with the tournament a way of gauging his progress.
Lyle failed to play much golf during his recovery; in fact, after taking his putter into hospital, he jokes the doctors ended up making use of his clubs more than him.
But always in search of a silver lining, Lyle treats his recovery as a boost to the mental side of his game, not a hindrance.
No longer does a bad shot irk away at him. Golf simply isn’t everything anymore, which ironically has worked wonders for his state of mind.
"If I play a bad round of golf there's always tomorrow, but most guys can't quite get to that mental place," accepts Lyle.
Being a professional golfer and a competitive person naturally ensures Lyle desperately wants to do well, but when faced with it, it’s not his life.
"As long as I've got my wife and my daughter my world is complete," he says, citing golf as simply an added bonus. “It's the only thing I'm good at so I do want to hang around for a little bit longer.
"But I can walk away from the game and be proud at what I have achieved."
Having competed on the PGA Tour, played in two majors and won a couple of tournaments, the 32-year-old acknowledges the critics may not think his is a stellar career, but he’s "bloody happy with it."
And while he is eagerly awaiting the day he can return to the PGA Tour, one day he is keen to forget is 13 May, 1999; a "day that is etched in my memory forever” he says.
But in typical Lyle style, he refuses to acknowledge the anniversary of his first diagnosis in any way, looking ahead not behind.
"My transplant was on 8 June and for me that's my new birthday which I celebrate," says Lyle, who turned 32 in August.
"It's the start of my second life and I'd rather celebrate that than my actual birthday."
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