Erica Paige Blasberg[1] (July 14, 1984 – May 9, 2010) was an American golfer who played on the LPGA Tour .
Early life
Blasberg was born in Orange, California , and raised in Corona, California . She attended Corona High School where she played on the boys' golf team.
Amateur career
As an amateur, Blasberg was the medalist at the 2000 U.S. Girls' Junior and lost in the quarterfinals. In 2003, she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur . She attended the University of Arizona and was the country's number 1 ranked college player as a freshman, compiling six victories before leaving in her sophomore year to turn pro. She was an All-America golfer in 2003 and 2004, NCAA Freshman of the Year in 2003, Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2003, and won the Golfists Cup, awarded for the NCAA women's lowest stroke average, in 2003 . In 2004 she was on the winning United States Curtis Cup team.
Professional career
Blasberg turned professional in June 2004 and played on the Futures Tour that season. She won the Laconia Savings Bank Golf Classic and en route to her first professional win broke the Tour's 18 hole scoring record, shooting a 62. She earned non-exempt status for the LPGA Tour at the 2004 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament .
Blasberg started on the LPGA Tour in 2005, making the cut in most of her early events but not contending for top positions. She was disqualified from the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in May 2005 when she left the scoring tent without signing her card. Blasberg later told reporters that the rule infraction was poorly handled by the officials and that she should not have received a penalty. The next week she made a hole in one and won a Mercury SUV . At mid-season she fired her caddie, because she "needed a change." She ended 2005 109th on the money list. She was chosen to play in the 2005 Lexus Cup , where she won two matches and halved another, including a 98 yard hole out on the 18th to win a match. In 2006, despite a late season rally she once again finished just outside the top one hundred on the money list, but a successful tournament at Qualifying School in the fall of 2006 won her exempt status for 2007 — the first and only time in her career she had exempt status on the LPGA Tour.
In 2007, she finished 104th on the money list. She chose not to return to Qualifying School, leaving her once again as a non-exempt player for 2008. In 2008 her results were only marginally better than in 2007. She played 23 tournaments and, while she did earn the only top-10 finish of her career, she again finished near the bottom of the LPGA money list.
She returned again to Qualifying School in 2009 in an attempt to improve her status on Tour for the 2010 but withdrew after shooting rounds of 72 and 78 in the final stage of the Tournament. She entered 2010 with limited playing opportunities and played just one tournament, the Tres Marias Championship in Morelia, Mexico where she finished tied for 44th after Monday qualifying for the event. During the tournament week, Blasberg participated in a "Back to College" event at which she joined fellow players Mina Harigae and Mariajo Uribe in visiting student-athletes at the Universidad Latina De America in Morelia to answer questions on golf and education.
Personal life
Blasberg was considered one of the LPGA's more photogenic players and in February 2006 Puma signed her to endorse and wear their clothing. ESPN radio once compared her to Natalie Gulbis , an LPGA golfer who did a swimsuit calendar.
Death
Blasberg's body was found at her Henderson, Nevada , home on the afternoon of May 9, 2010, according to local police. As of her May 19 memorial service, no cause of death has been disclosed and an investigation is ongoing. According to an Associated Press story, Henderson police were dispatched to Blasberg's home in response to a 911 call around 3:00 PM (PT ). The source of the 911 call was not released, as it is part of the investigation. In an interview reported in the Riverside County Press-Enterprise on May 10, Blasberg's father, Mel Blasberg, was quoted saying, "At first glance it looks like she might have taken her own life, but at second glance, something is very, very strange about it. We're waiting for the police to make an investigation." Missy Pederson, who was supposed to be Blasberg's caddy at a May 10 qualifying round for the Bell Micro LPGA Classic in Mobile, Alabama , told the New York Times that Blasberg had sent her a text in the early morning hours of May 9. In the message, Blasberg told Pederson she was not going to play in the tournament. A worried Pederson sent a text back to Blasberg, asking if she was all right, but Blasberg never replied. However, Blasberg's agent revealed that Blasberg's bags were packed at the time of her death.
On May 13, 2010, police in Henderson, Nevada , executed a search warrant for the home and office of Dr. Thomas Hess in the ongoing investigation into Blasberg's death. The search warrant listed an anti-anxiety medication, Xanax , plastic garbage bags, and a sample of Dr. Hess's handwriting. An inventory of the materials seized in the search of Dr. Hess's house includes two computers, a cell phone, two video cameras and a GPS unit. A computer and white trash bags were seized from Dr. Hess's office. Citing "sources close to the investigation," the CBS Early Show reported on June 2, 2010, that Dr. Hess spoke to Blasberg the night before her death and was the person who called 911 from Blasberg's residence. CBS also reported that a white trash bag, similar to the one seized from Dr. Hess's office or home, was found near Blasberg's body. Blasberg's father, Mel Blasberg, appeared on the Early Show on June 2, 2010, and denied that his daughter was clinically depressed, having financial troubles or was otherwise unhappy with her recent performances.
Coroner Rules Suicide
A Nevada coroner has ruled professional golfer Erica Blasberg's death was a suicide.
Blasberg died May 9 at her home in the suburban hills of Henderson, about 15 miles southeast of the Las Vegas Strip. The 25-year-old was found with a plastic bag over her head.
The Clark County coroner's office said Tuesday that Blasberg died of suicide due to asphyxia, coupled with the presence of toxic levels of prescription medication in her system, including prescription headache, cough, pain and anti-anxiety medications.
Nevada law doesn't permit the release of details on the amount of medication.
The Henderson Police Department says it concluded an extensive investigation Tuesday and determined there was no foul play.
Professional wins
Futures Tour
- 2004 (1) Laconia Savings Bank Golf Classic
Results in LPGA majors
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Nabisco Championship | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| LPGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | T76 | CUT | CUT | – |
| U.S. Women's Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | T39 | DNP | DNP | – |
| Women's British Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T64 | DNP | – |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
LPGA Tour career summary
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best |
|---|
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erica blasberg wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Erica Paige Blasberg[1] (July 14, 1984 – May 9, 2010) was an American golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. "Erica Blasberg texted about not being able to make an LPGA tourney Read the rest
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A Nevada coroner has ruled professional golfer Erica Blasberg's death was a suicide. Read the rest
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A Nevada coroner has ruled professional golfer Erica Blasberg's death was a suicide. Read the rest
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