Sports briefs for June 5, 2003

Thursday, June 5, 2003 | 10:20 a.m.

Bill Haas joins dad in the U.S. Open

Next week's U.S. Open will include a father-son duo for the first time in six years as Bill Haas shared medalist honors in the final qualifier to join his dad, Jay, next week at Olympia Fields, Ill.

It was a soggy end to U.S. Open qualifying, which featured several PGA Tour players who had to endure water-logged fairways at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., and a 36-hole test that required two days.

Haas, a junior at Wake Forest, finished at 9-under 133 to share the top spot with Rod Pampling and Hidemichi Tanaka.

The last father-son combination in the U.S. Open was Jack and Gary Nicklaus in 1997 at Congressional. Gary and Wayne Player also played at Pebble Beach in 1982.

Bloom gives up skiing to play for Colorado

Jeremy Bloom gave up a potentially lucrative career in freestyle skiing to play football for Colorado. Bloom is a champion moguls skier and a standout wide receiver and punt returner.

Speaking at a news conference at the Colorado campus, Bloom recalled his thrill of returning a punt for a touchdown against Colorado State last year.

His decision came after the NCAA ruled he could not remain eligible for football and earn endorsement money as a skier. The money helps cover the cost of training and traveling as a World Cup competitor.

Tommy Haas pulls out of Wimbledon

Former Top 10 player Tommy Haas again delayed his comeback from a shoulder operation, pulling out of a Wimbledon tuneup.

The German had once planned to play the clay-court season, which ends with the French Open. But he said his right shoulder wasn't ready after tendon surgery in December.

The Gerry Weber Open, a major grass-court tuneup in Germany, starts Monday.

Former drug czar to appeal dismissal

Lawyers for former U.S. Olympic Committee drug czar Wade Exum plan to appeal the dismissal of his federal lawsuit claiming racial discrimination. Lawyer John McKendree said that the notice of appeal also asks the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider Exum's claims that the USOC undermined his efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs and evaded its responsibility to discipline athletes who used banned substances.