Ryan Alford of Shreveport, La., prepares to putt at the 50th Texas State Open.

Mitchell Meissner is eyeing a Texas Two Step.

The San Antonio golfer wants to add the 50th Texas State Open title to his resumé that includes the 2018 Texas Amateur championship.

With three birdies on the front nine and four on the back, Meissner finished Thursday at 7-under par 63 for a 54-hole total of 15-under-par 195 to lead by a stroke on the championship being played at The Cascades Golf & Country Club in Tyler.

“I hit it pretty well today, I hit it a lot better than I did the last two days,” said Meissner, who had previous rounds of 67 and 65. “(Winning would) mean a lot. I turned pro two years ago and it’s kind of been a grind. The last event I won was the Texas State Amateur so it would be pretty cool to win this coming off of that win.”

The former Rice University golfer also won the Conference USA title in 2018. Meissner won the 109th Texas Amateur at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity.

The purse for the 50th Texas State Open is $150,000, and the champion will take home $30,000.

Sean Walsh, of Keller, and second round co-leader Cory Churchman, are tied for second at 14-under 196. Walsh carded a 6-under 64 in the third round with Churchman scoring a 5-under 65.

Meissner, Churchman and Walsh are scheduled to tee off of No. 1 at 9 a.m. Friday. Golfers will tee off on hole Nos. 1 and 10 due to possible inclement weather for Friday’s final round.

Recent Texas State University graduate Logan Lockwood, of Van, carded a 6-under 64 to hold first place in the amateur race with a 9-under 201.

“Today’s round was a just little bit smoother,” Lockwood said. “I don’t really think I’m going to change anything (going into Friday); I’m just going to stick to the same game plan and continue to make putts. It would be awesome to win the Low Amateur honors, especially with my friends and family being out to support me.”

Lockwood leads Houston’s Matthew Riedel, who recently completed his freshman year at Vanderbilt University, by one stroke in the amateur race. Texas A&M’s Jun Min “Jimmy” Lee is two strokes back of Lockwood.

Lockwood and Riedel, along with Finland’s Toni Hakula, of Austin, are scheduled to tee off No. 1 on Friday at 8:42 a.m.

Lufkin’s Sam Fidone is tied with Bullard’s Blake Elliott for eighth at 8-under 202. Tyler amateur Bryan Baker is tied for 33rd at 3-under 207.

Ben Kern, the 2018 TSO champion, is tied for 12th and is in a strong position to claim Low PGA Professional honors for the fourth time. Kern is leading the division by seven strokes.

The Championship is presented by Joyce Crane and Veritex Bank, and is supported by Ameriprise Financial Group, Cavender’s, Dobb’s & Porter, Energy Weldfab, Jucy’s Hamburgers, Patterson Tyler, The Plato Group and The Property Shoppe. Proceeds from the championship will benefit the Northern Texas PGA Foundation.

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