Coroner Says It Could Take 3 Months for Cause of Erica Blasberg's Death

May 12, 2010— -- The father of golfer Erica Blasberg said today he does not believe his daughter committed suicide, but the coroner's office said it could take as long as three months to determine the cause of death.

Mel Blasberg told ABC News that he was bewildered by the death of his 25-year-old daughter, a golf pro who was supposed to rejoin the LPGA tour this past weekend in an Alabama tournament.

Instead, she was found dead in her bed by a friend on Sunday.

"We don't know what happened," her father said. "It's just difficult for us."

"There are questions that have to be answered and I trust that we'll get answers," he said.

Henderson Police are holding off on the cause of death pending their investigation and the results of a toxicology screening by the Clark County Coroner. A spokesperson for the coroner said it could take up to 12 weeks to determine the cause of death while the office awaits lab results.

Mel Blasberg told ABC News that his daughter couldn't have been "more up, more positive" and was looking forward to the tournament in Alabama.

Cleveland Golf, the equipment and apparel maker, had sent Blasberg a brand new bag. "She was the only one in the world who had this special bag because she represents the ladies line," her father said.

He said the new golf bag, along with her travel bag, was in the trunk of her car, ready for her drive to the airport Saturday morning.

"This was a very motivated person to get to Alabama this week," he said.

Blasberg never made her flight.

Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul told ABCNews.com that police responded to a 911 call at Blasberg's suburban three-bedroom house at 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Paul declined to name the person who made the call, saying it was part of the investigation.

But Mel Blasberg told ABC affiliate KTNV that there were no obvious signs of trauma to her body.

Purple ribbons will be worn by the players at the event in Alabama in honor of Blasberg.

"I don't know if it was a suicide or homicide, but I can never imagine her being a person to take her own life or someone wanting to hurt her," her former University of Arizona teammate, Laura Ianello, told ABCNews.com.

Greg Allen, her former Arizona coach, said, "I don't know what the reports are going to be," in an interview with ABCNews.com. "I want her to be remembered as that sweet, sweet girl who loved life and being around people, who liked to cut up and have fun."

Her first day of practice at Arizona, Blasberg was given the nickname "Skip."

Fiery on the Green, Girly Off

"The trainer had the team skip and she didn't know how to skip," Allen said. "She was a sweet, innocent, naïve kid."

On the golf course, though, she was a fierce competitor. "She loved to compete," Allen said. "She was fiery, to say the least. She got in trouble a few times -- club slamming. That's how she played."

"She definitely had extremely high expectations for herself," Ianello said. "She could be very aggravated with herself if she didn't shoot well. She did have a temper. She was very aggressive, because she knew she was really good and talented."

Coached by her dad in her hometown of Orange, California, Blasberg quickly emerged as a star on the Arizona team, winning six tournaments in two years and becoming a two-time All-American. In 2003, she finished the season No. 1 in the rankings and was named NCAA Freshman of the Year, Pacific-10 Player of the Year and Golfweek's Player of the Year.

But teammate Ianello, now the assistant golf coach at Arizona, said Blasberg didn't gloat about her success. Off the course, she was one of the girls.

"She loved to go shopping, she always had makeup on," Ianello said. "She loved eating out with friends. She was very social, always was up for a good time."

While she was often bubbly, Ianello said Blasberg also remained guarded. Only a few people were really close to her, Ianello said, including Blasberg's boyfriend, Chase Callahan, who met her at Arizona their freshman year even though they came from the same hometown.

The couple broke up but remained friends, and Callahan later became her agent. On Tuesday, he released a statement to the press.

"We are devastated to learn of the passing of Erica Blasberg. To most of the world, Erica was known as a professional golfer, but she was more than that," the statement read. "She was a loving daughter to her parents and a compassionate and loyal friend. Erica had a good heart, was extremely kind and very thankful for what she had in her life."

Blasberg left school at the end of her sophomore year in 2004 to turn pro. But she struggled on the LPGA, never finishing higher than 94th on the money list.

The Mystery of Golfer Erica Blasberg's Death

Allen said when he saw her in December 2008, "She just told me she needed to play better."

"I don't know what her private life was like the last couple years," Allen said. "Maybe that was holding her back from being the best she could be. She had the talent. Whatever was holding her back I just don't know."

Ianello said Blasberg had another serious boyfriend until about three or four months ago, when they broke up. She believed Blasberg lived alone with her pet Yorkie in a house she bought in 2007.

"If you're struggling on the tour, it can be very stressful," Ianello said. "You're trying to make a living, you're traveling every week."

In the 2010 season, which just began, Blasberg had played only one event, at the Tres Marias Championship in Morelia, Mexico, where she tied for 44th two weeks ago.

"She had just finished a tournamount in Mexico. She was three under par," her father told ABC News. "And you know in golf, like sports, some people aren't in the right mood and you know you just have to deal with it. That wasn't the case. I mean I never saw her more positive. Last year was a lousy year. We thought she might even leave golf. That is not the case. I mean she couldn't wait."

"What I hope her legacy is going to be is that she instills confidence and drive in other people to emulate the way she was," Mel added. "She picked something to do, did it well and had a way of getting people to like her while she was doing it."

"I think it's what she will instill in people to come that gives us a positive about losing a life at 25 years old," he said.