Last weekend’s Chrysler Classic of Greensboro may have been just another PGA Tour stop, notable only because Shigeki Maruyama won by a five-stroke margin.

But it was a huge weekend for Mike Heinen.

The Rayne native, former Louisiana All-American and Lake Charles resident finished tied for 12th with a 73-66-73-64—276 score, earning $91,125. His final-round score was Sunday’s lowest number by two strokes.

More importantly, his weekend check boosted him to 137th on this season’s PGA money list, virtually assuring him of a finish in that ranking’s final top 150 this season. His year-to-date earnings of $432,577 is almost $100,000 ahead of the No. 150 mark of $339,184 (Mike Grob) in this week’s list with only two regular PGA events remaining.

Finishing in the top 150 provides a certain level of exempt status for next year’s PGA events. Finishing in the top 125 provides an even higher exempt level, and Heinen has a shot at that mark if he can finish well in either or both the Funai Classic at Walt Disney World this weekend and the Chrysler Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla., in two weeks. No. 125 money is $484,577 this week.

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Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@lafayette.gannett.com