Friends and family of golfing pro Erica Blasberg remembered her Wednesday as a talented, funny woman who was a joy to be around.
A public memorial service for the 25-year-old Corona native was held at the Eagle Glen Golf Club, where mourners gathered to pay homage before a private burial ceremony in Corona Del Mar on Wednesday afternoon.
"She was extremely talented, pretty and funny," Scott Walker, her a longtime friend, told reporters. "She had a laugh about her that was very contagious. Just watching her laugh brought joy to everybody else."
Blasberg's body was found in her Henderson, Nev., home the afternoon of May 9 after police reportedly were sent there in response to a 911 call by a concerned friend.
The cause of the woman's death has not been disclosed, but suicide remains a possibility, authorities said. An autopsy is pending.
Blasberg's former coach, Greg Allen, said Blasberg's death heightened his appreciation for the safety and well-being of his own children.
"I make sure I give them a hug every time they leave the house," Allen said. "You just never know."
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Blasberg was in her sixth season on the Ladies Professional Golf Association circuit. According to her family, she was planning to head to Mobile, Ala., for the qualifying round in the LGPA tour just days before she died.
The golfer won a half-dozen college tournaments in her two years at the University of Arizona in Tucson, which she left in her sophomore year to turn pro. In 2003, she was named Golfweek's "Player of the Year," but had more recently struggled with her game.
"She was one of the guys on the golf course for sure," said Shane Bacon, one of Blasberg's college classmates. "She played golf like one of the guys."
