Mike Heinen (2022) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Mike Heinen

Induction:
2022

Four-year letterman from 1985-89 and led Cajuns to their first-ever NCAA Division I Championship appearance as a senior in 1989 at the NCAA Central Regional, where team tied for ninth and advanced to the NCAA National Tournament where they finished 15th … As an individual, Heinen finished 12^th in the NCAA National Championships, the second-highest-ever by a Cajun golfer in Division I … That same season, Cajuns won the first of three straight American South Conference team championships, their first conference title in 13 years … Cajuns did not join American South until 1988, and in his final two years, Heinen was a first-team All-American South Conference selection including earning medalist honors as the top individual finish in the American South Tournament as a senior in 1989 … Was named honorable mention All-America in 1988 and third-team All-America in 1989 by the Golf Coaches Association of America … Also earned first-team All-Louisiana honors in each of his final two years in 1988 and 1989.

Professional Golf: One of only two Cajuns ever to win a PGA Tour event, capturing the 1994 Shell Houston Open in only his 10^th start on the “big” tour … Shot 67-68-69-68—272 (16-under-par) to win by three strokes over Tom Kite, Hal Sutton (both in the World Golf Hall of Fame) and Jeff Maggert to win $234,000 first-place prize and move into top 25 on FedEx Cup rankings at the time … Had three top-10 finishes in that rookie season and $390,963 in earnings … Had two runner-up finishes along with three top-10 and six top-25 finishes and earned $350,920 on the PGA Tour the following year, including tying for first (losing in a playoff to Davis Love III) at the Freeport-McMoran Classic (now the Zurich Classic of New Orleans … Tied for fourth at the 1998 CVS Charity Classic and tied for fifth in the 2002 John Deere Classic where he was the first-round leader … Best season on the money list was in the following year in 2003 when he had four top-25 finishes and finished with $432,417 in earnings, including a tie for 11^th at the Greater Hartford Open and a tie for 12^th at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, and had his low PGA Tour career round with a 62 at the Greater Milwaukee Open … Split time between the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour during a 17-year professional career, making 90 PGA Tour cuts and earning $1,848,216 in official earnings on the PGA Tour, and making 90 Nationwide Tour cuts and earning $523,391 in official earnings on that tour, giving him a total of 180 career cuts and total professional earnings of $2,371,607 during his career … Had four runner-up finishes (including one at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open), six top-3 finishes and 22 top-10 finishes on the Nationwide Tour.