SUNDERLAND - ROY Keane has left his job as manager of English Premier League club Sunderland, English media reported on Thursday.

The reports followed 24 hours of intense speculation that the former Manchester United star was on the brink of quitting.

AUCKLAND - VETERAN England football star David Beckham is still hoping to add to the 107 international appearances which have made him his country's third most capped player.

LA QUINTA (California) - MAJOR Manning and Craig Kanada ran off birdie strings on different PGA West courses on their way to 7-under 65s and shares of the lead in the first of six rounds at the US PGA Tour qualifying tournament on Wednesday.

Manning, who made it through two stages of Q-school to reach the finals, had five straight birdies in the middle of his round on the TPC Stadium Course, while Kanada started his round with six straight birdies on the Nicklaus Tournament Course.