Youngster Brad Smith can count on the full support of the Norfolk golfing community as he battles against serious illness.

The 22-year-old, who had been learning the ropes as a trainee pro' at Thetford, recently had his right leg amputated above the knee after a routine check-up showed he was suffering from an aggressive form of bone cancer.

He is now undergoing a course of chemotherapy at Addenbroke's Hospital in Cambridge - and his plight has touched fellow golf lovers in both the amateur and professional game, with two tournaments having been arranged to raise money for a fund that has been set up to help him.

Appropriately the competitions will be staged at two of the clubs he calls home, with a pro-am at Thetford on Wednesday, August 9 and an amateur team competition at Royal Cromer - where he honed his skills after taking up the sport at Fakenham - on Sunday, August 27,

The Thetford event was originally organised to raise money for Breast Cancer Research - but the funds will now be split between the two causes.

'Brad has had the most unimaginable two months,' said teaching professional Stuart Smith. 'He went for an MRI scan on what he thought was ligament damage, only to be told that he actually had a very aggressive form of bone cancer in his knee which has since resulted in him having his leg amputated.

'As a club we want to raise as much as we can for him.'

Club manager Malcolm Grubb added: 'At the July directors' meeting it was agreed to start a fund in aid of Brad - we are committed to assisting him rebuild his life. There will be a number of alterations required to make his home more suitable to his current situation as well as providing for his fiancee Abbie and their child.'

The 18-hole team competiton at Royal Cromer, which has been organised jointly by the club and the Norfolk County Golf Union, is already a sell-out, with 54 teams of four having entered.

County secretary Mike Devlin said of the former Norfolk county player: 'Brad is a really great young man and this must be truly devastating for him and his young family. We are happy to co-host this with Royal Cromer as a mark of the esteem we hold him in both as a club and a county player.' There is still room for a few more teams at the Thetford event. Contact Stuart Smith on 01842 752169 for more details.