LPGA's Blasberg is dead at age 25

LPGA's Blasberg is dead at age 25 LAS VEGAS -- Police and an agent for 25-year-old Erica Blasberg say the LPGA Tour golfer has died. Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul said Monday that authorities were investigating Blasberg's Sunday death. It was not immediately clear whether foul play was involved.

Blasberg was a regular at the now-defunct Corning Classic from 2005-2009.

Blasberg's agent, Chase Callahan, confirmed her death but declined to provide details because of the investigation.

A message left with the coroner's office was not immediately returned.

This season, Blasberg had played in one event, the Tres Marias Championship the weekend before last, and she tied for 44th. At the 2008 Corning Classic, Blasberg topped the leaderboard after the first and third rounds.

She shot a 7-under-par 65 on a cold and windy Thursday, May 22, 2008, to take the lead after the first round. A 74 in the second round left her in a four-way tie for second at 5-under 139, a shot behind leader Dina Ammaccapane.

Blasberg carded a 70 on May 24 and ended the third round tied with Jeong Jang for the lead at 7-under 209 before a final-round 79 relegated her to a tie for 37th, still her Pearl ring best of five finishes at Corning. Leta Lindley won that year.

At last year's final Corning Classic, Blasberg missed the cut after shooting 1-over 145 in the first two rounds.

"I'm in total shock, terrible shock, somebody as nice as she was" said Jack Benjamin, president of the Corning Classic. "She was a good golfer, somebody who was a rising star."

Blasberg was in her sixth season on the LPGA Tour. A former junior golf standout, she was a two-time All-American from 2003-04, 2003 NCAA Freshman of the Year, and 2003 Pac-10 Player of the Year while at the University of Arizona.

She turned professional in June 2004 and won once on the Duramed FUTURES Tour before qualifying for the LPGA Tour in 2005. Her best year on Tour was 2008, when she earned $113,000 and had a career-best tie for eighth at the season-opening SBS Open in Hawaii.