Charleston, South Carolina-Texan Lindy Miller added to his Walker Cup prestige as he won the 1977 Southern Amateur over a very strong field.

There was a mad scramble going to the final 18 over the sandy and tough Snee Farm Country Club layout, but when Miller calmly two putted from 60 feet on the tournament's 72nd hole he had a one stroke victory over John Jones, of Tampa, Fla.

Miller, Oklahoma State ace, shot rounds of 71-70-70-72 and that steady play was the difference as he edged Jones and David Edwards, a Cowboy teammate, by two.

Both Jones and Edwards beat Lindy's final round 72 as they scored 71 and 70 respectively, while Robert Boyle, the third round leader, struggled to a 77 the final day and took fifth place.

Billy Pierot, of Ruston, La., was in the chase until the end on rounds of 71-69-72-74. He finished fourth, only three behind Miller.

The early rounds produced plenty of surprises. Boyle, from Summerville, S. C., produced most of the early talk on his three straight 70s.

The 26-year-old Boyle had played in only one tournament during the summer before the Southern and many wondered if he could stand up to the hot-shot college crowd. He did for 54 holes, but then the final 18 got him as he started bogey, bogey, went out in 42 and was out of it.

Miller and Pierot went through the first nine holes Of the final round with a shot difference for the day and all even for the 63 holes played.

But, on 12 Pierot bogied and Miller snaked in a 30 foot birdie putt at 14 to go two ahead. In the meantime Jones was making his run with birdies at 12, 13 and 14.

One of Miller's clutch shots had to be the one-iron, on the 17th when he knocked it 25 feet from the pin and got a routine par while some were using drivers to reach the hole.

The top ten finishers had some veteran names listed as the collegians did not sweep everything. North Carolina's Bill Harvey was in the chase until a final 78 flattened his chances. He started 73-70-69 and finished at 290 with former Southern Champion Charlie Harrison, of Atlanta, and Mickey Van Gerbia, of Palm Beach.

At 292, and tied for tenth, was William Hyndman, playing in his first Southern. Hyndman started shaky with a 76 then toured the Snee Farm layout 74-69-73. He tied with Doug Gregory of Atlanta.

The sixth spot was claimed by still another veteran, Bob W. Rawlins, of Irving, Tex. at 289.