Future Friday: Q&A with Michael Harris
2/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Feb. 19, 2016
After representing the block M with pride while they competed for the Maize and Blue, our student-athlete alumni have gone off to become professionals in different areas of their lives. Whether they continued on in their sport, helped to build up a company or started a family, they are building a future. They are building our future. As they leave the University of Michigan campus they go forth with all they learned here to create a better future for us all.
Arguably one of the top golfers in the history of the Michigan program, Michael Harris played in 50 consecutive events and did not miss a single tournament during his four seasons in Ann Arbor. His Michigan playing resume includes eight tournament wins, 15 top-five finishes, and 33 top-20 finishes. As a two-time captain, Harris led the team in scoring for three straight seasons and had a career scoring average of 72.90. Over the course of his playing career he had 20 sub-70 rounds, including a U-M record 64 (-7) in the second round of the 1998 Northern Intercollegiate.
The Troy, Michigan, native was an honorable mention All-American in 1998 and 2000, a two-time National Golf Coaches Association Academic All-American Scholar, and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Harris, who was U-M's co-Athlete of the Year in 2000, was also a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection, was the individual co-champion of the 1999 Big Ten Championships and was twice named to the Big Ten Championships all-tournament team. He helped Michigan return to the NCAA Finals for the first time in 30 years during the 1996-97 season and led U-M back to the NCAA Central Regional during the 1999-2000 season.
Following his collegiate career, Harris played professionally for nine years, qualified for two U.S. Opens, and was named the 2005 PGA Tour Canada Player of the Year. As a professional, he won two Canadian Tour events, Michigan's Tournament of Champions five times, and the 2005 Michigan Open. He graduated from Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business in 2000 and, after retiring from professional golf, earned his MBA from the University of Wisconsin in 2011. Michael currently works in Milwaukee as a senior associate at Duff & Phelps. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Andrew (6) and William (2).
Q. What did the University of Michigan mean to you?
A. My time at Michigan provided me with a tremendous foundation for my personal and professional life. On the personal side, I met my wife during my time in Ann Arbor and made several lifelong friendships. Professionally, I used the education I received at the Ross School of Business to manage the business aspects of my career as a touring professional. In addition, my Michigan degree has opened opportunities for me after transitioning from professional golf into a more traditional finance career.
Q. What are some of your fondest memories from Michigan off the course?
A. My favorite memories are of attending Michigan athletic events with friends. To this day, every time I watch a Michigan football game I relive the excitement of being at Michigan Stadium for the team's win over Ohio State in 1997 and being at the Rose Bowl to watch the team win the national championship.
Q. What are some of your fondest athletic memories from Michigan?
A. The 1996-97 season stands out because it was my first year playing. The team won our home event, set some records, and qualified for NCAAs. From an individual perspective, being the co-medalist at the Big Ten tournament at Minnesota in 1999 was the biggest win of my collegiate career.
Q. You set so many records and are arguably one of the top golfers in U-M history. What does it mean when people say that?
A. Given the rich history of Michigan athletics it's an honor that others would include my name on that list. I worked hard during my time at Michigan and am very proud of the fact that I was able to win seven events individually while at the time setting the record for the lowest career scoring average.
Q. Are you still in touch with the members of that team?
A. Yes. We have all spread out around the country, but we continue to stay in touch and see each other periodically. For the majority of my professional career, Kevin Hinton, a teammate from Michigan, was my swing instructor and was instrumental in my success as a touring professional.
Q. Can you discuss your coach, Jim Carras, and what he was like?
A. Coach Carras' impact on my golf game at Michigan and my life in general is hard to put into words. As a golf coach, he focused his efforts on instilling in me the confidence I needed to win at the collegiate level. Golf is very much a mental game, and his positive attitude and endless belief in my ability were instrumental to my athletic accomplishments. As a person, he was and is a tremendous role model. I have seen first-hand how his warm personality and caring nature have touched so many lives. We stay in touch to this day, and I look forward to seeing him every time I go back to Ann Arbor.
Q. What was the strength of your game?
A. My ball-striking was the strength of my game and really contributed to my consistency. Even when other aspects of my game were a little off, my ball-striking allowed me to post a score that helped the team.
Q. Any memorable golf moments?
A. I qualified to play in two majors, the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2000 and at Winged Foot in 2006. I have a lot of great memories from those weeks including a hole-in-one on the 17th at Pebble Beach during a practice round. Besides playing in the two U.S. Opens, 2005 was my most memorable season. I won six events during the year and finished T-21st at the PGA Tour's Canadian Open. My final victory of the year was a Canadian Tour event that was televised live on the Golf Channel. I chipped in three times on my final nine holes, finished eagle-birdie to get into a playoff, and birdied the first playoff hole to win. The victory allowed me to win the money title and player of the year honors.
Q. Do you follow the Michigan golf program today?
A. Yes. It was exciting to follow the team's play at NCAAs in 2009 and 2011. Coach (Chris) Whitten and (Nick) Pumford have done a great job building on that success by improving the team's playing schedule and expanding the program's recruiting footprint. Also, the Michigan community has really enhanced the program's facilities with the construction of the Weisfeld Family Golf Center, the Ross Academic Center, and the current plans for the Postma Family Clubhouse.
Q. Can you discuss what your career is now?
A. I work in valuation advisory services at Duff & Phelps. As an independent financial consultant I work with publicly traded and privately held companies on financial reporting and tax restructuring projects. My analysis is used by publicly traded companies to assist with the disclosure of financial information in their SEC filings and by multinational, publicly traded and privately held companies for tax restructuring purposes. The role leverages my background in finance and accounting, allows me to rotate through a variety of industries, and has helped me build the analytical skills needed to value a business.
Q. Are you still actively playing?
A. I played professional golf for nine years. After retiring I took some time away from the game to earn an MBA from the University of Wisconsin and start a family. At this point, I take my two sons to the range a couple of times a month and play a handful of times each year. I am looking forward to family golf outings as my sons get older, and I plan on playing more tournaments in the coming years.
The 2015-16 academic year marks the 150th anniversary of Michigan Athletics. We invite the University of Michigan family to celebrate the passion that fuels us, rediscover the stories and traditions that unite us, and imagine what the future holds for us. We look forward to celebrating "This Michigan of Ours." To share a memory of Michigan Athletics, please fill out our online form or email goblue150@umich.edu.
