By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, March 4 (Reuters) - A cyclone expected to hit the east coast of Australia this week has scrapped a golf event and prompted the Australian Football League (AFL) to postpone season-opening matches.

Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early on Friday. It could bring intense rainfall and life-threatening flash-flooding to the southeast of Queensland state and the northeast of New South Wales state, the Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest update.

Cyclone Alfred is wreaking more havoc in the sporting world, with the WPGA Championship event on the Gold Coast cancelled.

A cyclone bearing down on the east coast of Australia has scrapped a golf event and threatens to disrupt the launch of the Australian Football League season.