Made-for-television golf dominated the desert from the 1980s to the 2000s
The Battle at Bighorn was one of several popular made-for-television events played in the Coachella Valley from the 1980s to the 2000s
Trae Cassell of La Quinta saw his trip to the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship end Tuesday with a loss in the second round of match play.
Cassell, the director of real estate sales at Madison Club in La Quinta, fell 4 and 3 on Tuesday to John Kemp of England, the No. 1 seed in the match-play portion of the national championship at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.
Cassell, 55 and in his first U.S. Senior Amateur event, completed the 36-hole stroke play portion of the tournament Saturday and Sunday tied for 25th at 3-over 145, including a 3-under 68 in the second round. Cassell was seeded 32nd in the 64-player match-play bracket, where he beat Pat O’Donnell of Oregon 3 and 2. Cassell won five of the first 10 holes for a 5-up lead, with O’Donnell winning the 11th and 15th holes before being closed out when the players tied the 16th hole.
In the second round, Cassell faced Kemp, who won the stroke-play portion of the event at 7-under 135. Kemp won the second and third holes for a quick lead, but Cassell won the eighth hole and was just 1-down after nine holes. But Kemp won the 10th and 11th holes, then closed out the match by winning the 15th hole to go four holes up with just three holes to play.
Read the full article here
