SPORTS briefs

SINGAPORE.Red Bull driver Mark Webber plans to go without a manager for the rest of his Formula One career if the lifetime ban on his long-term representative Flavio Briatore is upheld. Briatore, was banned from being a driver agent due to his part in arranging for Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash in last year's Singapore Grand Prix to help F. Alonso. "I won't work with anyone else in the future if I can't work with him."

KYOTO.Singapore's Lam Chih Bing fired a 5-under 66 Thursday to share the first-round lead with Japan's Tatsuya Haraguchi at the Asia Pacific Panasonic Open. Lam carded six birdies against a lone bogey at the Joyo Country Club. Haraguchi had five birdies in a bogey-free round at the 6,352-yard, par-71 course.Four golfers, including Japan's Tomohiro Kondo, were a further stroke back at 4 under. Lam was injured in a freakish accident which could have blinded him in one eye after Mardan Mamat accidentally hit him in the face with a driver.

PHOENIX. Wayne Gretzky has resigned as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Gretzky's departure had been rumored as the bankruptcy court battle between Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie and the NHL over the sale of the financially troubled team dragged on. He confirmed he was leaving on his web site.

ATLANTA.Jim Furyk is among the top five seeds at the Tour Championship, meaning he doesn't have to do any math to figure out how to collect the $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup. All he has do is win at East Lake. Furyk is getting a lot of attention at the Tour Championship for all the wrong reasons. Because the points have been reset going into the final playoff event, he can win the $10 million prize without ever having won a tournament this year. One scenario would be for Furyk to finish second and Tiger Woods to finish fourth or worst.