Alan Hill (left), Steve Galko (middle) and Terrence Miskell

Texas, which also captured the 1999 State Team, won by four strokes over Alabama and seven over defending champion Tennessee. In each of the three, 18-hole stroke play rounds, the two lowest scores by players from each team constitute the team score for each round. The 54-hole total is the team’s score for the Championship.

Miskell, 38, of New Braunfels, carded a 2-under 70 to lead the champions. He was the only player in the field to record three sub-par rounds and finished as the low individual scorer for the championship at 8-under-par 208.

“Any time you’re in an event like this and playing with teammates, you don’t want to let them down,” said Miskell.

But he had help, particularly from Alan Hill, 43, of Spring Branch, who turned in his first sub-par round of the championship with a 2-under 70. Steve Galko, 31, of Dallas, the third member of the Texas team, came in with a 77 that did not count toward the team score. For the championship, the representatives of the Longhorn State finished at 10-under 422.

It was a fitting high point for the three most recent Texas State Golf Association Players of the Year (Galko, 2005; Miskell, 2004; and Hill, 2003).

“We felt like we had a good chance to do well,” said Miskell. “This is my 16th USGA event and to finally be a champion is really a nice deal.”

Alabama made a strong final-day push to finish second, led by Steven Hudson of Birmingham, who had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch, from the ninth to the 15th holes, to shoot a 6-under 66. But teammate Will Swift of Vestavia Hills came in at even par, leaving Alabama four shots back.

Danny Green of Jackson, the 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, recorded a 2-under 70, his first sub-par round of the championship, as did Andrew Black of Chattanooga, to lead Tennessee to a third-place finish. No team has successfully defended the title in the six times the USGA Men’s State Team has been played.

Home state South Carolina, which entered the day two shots back, got a 5-under 67 from Emmett Turner of Greenwood. But Alex Hamilton, who shot a 6-under 66 Wednesday, struggled in the third round and finished with a 6-over 78. But it was still a solid finish for the team that opened five over par in the first round.

“We couldn’t quite come up with it today,” said Turner. “We tried our best. Especially after the first round, we gave it a good run.

North Carolina, led by a 3-under 69 from Paul Simson of Raleigh, finished tied for fourth with South Carolina.

The USGA Men’s State Team championship is one of the national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association. Fifty-two teams, from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, were entered.

The USGA Women’s State Team also concluded Thursday, at Berkeley Hall's North Course. Georgia, which held a seven-stroke lead entering the final round, held on to beat Alabama by two strokes.

Story written by Beth Murrison of USGA Media Relations. Contact her at bmurrison@usga.org.

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