Pro golfer Erica Blasberg, according to most accounts, had much going for her in life and was well liked by her golfing peers, friends and family. 
Blasberg played her only L.P.G.A. Tour event this year just two weeks ago in Mexico and tied for 44th place.
Blasberg found great golfing success in college, winning six times in two years at the University of Arizona and then turned pro and played on the Curtis Cup team in 2004.
One of the most photogenic women’s golfers in the country, she also inked an endorsement deal with Puma. In addition, Erica competed favorably in the L.P.G.A. Championship, U.S. Women’s Open, Women’s British Open, and Kraft Nabisco Championship.
But last Sunday something turned horribly – and deathly -wrong.
Henderson, Nevada police spokesman Keith Paul would only say they are continuing to investigating the 25-year-old American’s sudden and untimely death on Sunday, adding it was not immediately clear whether foul play was involved.
The virtual freeze of information from the Henderson Police Department about her death has fueled rampant speculation. They only say that it was not a suicide.
TMZ, citing Erica’s father, also proclaimed that it was not a suicide.
HLN host Nancy Grace took it a step further: “Found dead, possibly smothered to death in the bedroom of her desert home,” Grace said on her recent show.
Erica had withdrawn in recent months, not updating her website, Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Paul said police responded to a 911 call and were dispatched to Blasberg’s suburban three-bedroom house in Henderson, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas, around 3 p.m. last Sunday. Paul declined to say who made the call, saying it was part of the investigation.
But, since then, knowledgeable sources have came forward saying the call was made by a male golfer, yet unnamed, who was inside her home at the time.
Blasberg, whose bags were packed and waiting to go on her next L.P.G.A. tournament in Alabama this week, according to her agent, Chase Callahan, also reportedly text messaged her caddie hours before her death, saying she would not be at the tournament.
The caddie, Missy Pederson, recently told the New York Times that Blasberg said she wasn’t going to play at this week’s Bell Micro L.P.G.A. Classic in Mobile, Alabama.
Because the message was sent in the middle of the night, Pederson said she was worried and texted back a question about whether Blasberg was all right– and the 25-year-old golfer never replied.
Pederson normally caddies for Irene Cho. Cho told the Times she and Blasberg had made plans to have dinner Sunday night in Mobile, the night before Blasberg faced a qualifying round.
Cho said Blasberg was unhappy with her golf game lately.
“She was kind of down on herself,” Cho said. “She was upset how she played last year. I told her she has so much talent and so much beauty and so many people who love her. I didn’t want her to lose sight of all that.”
Her dad, Mel Blasberg, says Las Vegas had become a “bad influence” and a “distraction,” and she was considering moving back home to California. Despite this, he seems to believe it wasn’t suicide saying Erica was upbeat during practice at Southern Highlands Country Club in Henderson just days before she was found dead.
“I never saw her more positive,” says Blasberg. ”This was a very motivated person to get to Alabama this week.”
Police will not say how Blasberg died and the Clark County coroner only said the autopsy results were inconclusive and that determining the cause of death through blood and tissue tests could take 4-6 weeks.
L.P.G.A. spokesman David Higdon called Blasberg’s death a “tough hit” for women’s golf. “She was a very popular player and well-liked and we’re going to miss her,” Higdon said, adding, “This is a very close-knit group of players and tour and we’re saddened by what happened.”
Face it: Every day is really a crap shoot in Las Vegas. Some days are great. Others are so-so. And yet still others are pure hell. But imagine your worst nightmare of waking up to face-to-face to a grunting, over one thousand pound drooling bull – the epitome of True Mean reincarnated - staring you down with flaming red eyes, refusing to budge an inch. And yet you’re tasked to make him “play” with you, armed only with a bright red or pink cape and a Velcro-tipped stick. Goliath had it better. And, if this isn’t bad enough– you don’t wake up. 
How does the new sport work? A patch of Velcro is fastened to the bull’s back and, rather than using a killing sword, the matador tries to deftly attach a Velcro-coated stick to the bull’s withers. Though it appears they’ve stabbed the bull, the animal is unhurt and walks away to fight another day, as does the bullfighter. Win-win. Or is it?
