Texas, with three players in their first USGA State Team Championship, overcame weather and experienced opposition to claim the title by one stroke over Virginia and Minnesota, the defending champion and first-day leader, at the weather-shortened 1999 event at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Williamsburg, Va. with a 4-under-par total of 280.

Play was suspended at 2:53 p.m. on the third day of play because of lightning in the area and cancelled at 4:30 p.m. with the 36hole scores as the official results. The championship had been scheduled for 54 holes.

In the second round, Bob Kearney of Houston shot his second straight 3-under-par 68 and Dave Dunkelberg of Fort Worth fired an even-par 71 as Texas moved into the lead at the 6,696yard Gold Course after beginning the day in a three-way tie for fifth place with Idaho and Arkansas at 1-under 141.

The Texas team consisted of Kearney, a 43-year-old computer programmer, Dunkelberg, a 35year-old surgery consultant (who shot 73-71) and Chip Stewart, 52, of Dallas, the owner of a fork lift company, who shot 76-72.

"We all wanted to play the third round," said Kearney. "I don't consider it tainted. It's part of the game. I was in our state amateur earlier this year and I was two or three shots out of the lead in the fourth round and they washed it out and I didn't have a chance to catch up."

Texas' two-day team total ties for the second-best 36-hole score in the history of the championship.

"I played well. I had a couple of 68s," said Kearney, who was a semifinalist in the 1995 MidAmateur. "I was able to do that without making a lot of bogeys. I made only two bogeys in two days. That's helps because all the birdies counted. Both of our guys improved the second day and were improving today."

Virginia, the home state team, made the strongest move on the second day after completing the first day in a tie for 13th place. Virginia finished in a tie for second and were buoyed by a Sunder total of 137 on a 3-under 68 from 22-year-old Faber Jamerson of Appamattox and a second straight 69 from Keith Decker of Fieldale to complete the two days of competition at 3-under 281.

Decker was one of 20 players entered in the championship for the third time.

"We obviously would have liked to have played," said Decker of not having the chance to win with only one shot separating his team from the leaders. "We hate for the weather to dictate how things are going. We don't mind losing. We've lost before. We'll lose again. But, we sure would have liked to have played. There was a lot of golf left. Texas certainly deserved it. They did the best through the first two days. They did what they had to do."

The Virginians were tied by Minnesota, which also finished at 1-under 281. In the second round, Minnesota's Joe Stansberry (Minneapolis) fired a second consecutive 70. Terry O'Loughlin of St. Paul shot a 3-over 74 that included a two-stroke penalty under Rule 8, Advice. Without the penalty, Minnesota would have retained the team lead at 5-under 279.

Stansberry was playing in his third State Team Championship and O'Loughlin in his second.

Defending champion Minnesota, fueled by a 4-under 67 from J.B. Lloyd, of Wayzata and a 1-under 70 from Stansberry, held the first-day

lead of 5-under 137. Lloyd's 67 was matched by Scott Masingill of Payette, Idaho, and both low rounds of the championship were fired on the first day of play.

Play, which was suspended due to thunder and lightning at 5:26 p.m. on the first day, was completed by 46 players before the second round began on the next morning.

"The pressure's all on me. If we don't win this year, it's the same two guys. I'm the only different one," Lloyd had said facetiously. "Seriously, we really haven't dwelled on winning but I know those guys were really happy to win it two years ago. We're just going to play the first two days and see where we are for the third day."