Ten Questions with Mike Harris

Editor's note: This interview with Mike Harris took place on June 16th during the New England Pro Golf Tour's Vermont National Open. The week prior, he captured the Vermont Open. He went on to win the Canadian Tour order of merit, the Michigan Open, Michigan Tournament of Champions and the NEPGT's Lebaron Hills Open. He also finished 21st in the Bell Canadian Open, 66th in the Buick Open, and earned an exemption through the first stage of PGA Tour qualifying school, all while compiling more than $190,000 in earnings and ranking as high as 49th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Not bad for a mini-tour player.

Michael Harris, of Troy, MI, is splitting time between the New England and Canadian Tours this season. In 2004, he competed on the Nationwide Tour. Prior to that, he earned more than $110,000 during three seasons on the Canadian Tour. He sat down for a ten question Q and A following Thursday's practice round at Vermont National for the first installment of a season long series designed to give you, the NEPGT fan, a closer relationship with the faces of the NEPGT.

Q: Knowing how much you will be traveling between New England and Canadian Tour events, what is your favorite airline?

A: (Laughter). I fly whatever's cheapest. I've got a lot of frequent flyer miles on Northwest. Hopefully I'll be using those up.

Q: What's your greatest moment in golf?

A: I played my first professional event at the 2000 US Open. I was still in school when I qualified. It's kind of been all downhill from there-start at the top and then kind of go down from there (laughter).

Runner-up moment: I made the cut at the Canadian Open, the PGA Tour event, and made a 50 footer on my last hole to make the cut on the number. I doubled the hole previous then made that putt. I played with John Morgan on Saturday and Jay Don Blake on Sunday. He shot a 65 to move from 50th place to 25th, and he made a hole-in-one. It was pretty nuts.

Q: What are your goals for this season?

A: I want to win. I play golf tournaments to win. If three 75's wins, whatever it takes. It's nice to be home, or relatively close to home. I spent a lot of time on the road last year, and it kind of wore me down. I'm looking forward to making golf fun again and not taking it too seriously.

Q: What are your impressions of Vermont National?

A: It's long. And it can play tough. You have to hit the driver straight and sharpen up your 4-iron. Someone said the guys went low last year, but I really don't see it. If it blows 20 miles per hour, 2-under a day is a good score. Somebody always plays well, no matter the conditions. But for that same person to play every day, that would be exceptional.

Q: What did you learn while you played on the Nationwide Tour in '04?

A: I had a really tough year. I made two out of 17 cuts, and kind of beat myself up over it. I missed a lot of cuts by one shot, two shots here and there. I took the game too seriously. I practiced a lot. I really didn't do myself any favors, mentally or physically. I really learned you need to have a balance in your life to play good golf. You have to be comfortable with what you are doing. You have to learn to step back. Golf is golf. Life is life. You have to learn to separate the two. I mean, I talked myself out of making cuts on Tuesday. There was always something wrong. But I did it to myself. I am out to prove to myself that was not the game I am capable of. I'd like to have the opportunity to prove that.

Q: What do you need to improve on to advance to the PGA Tour?

A: I hit it well enough that I can compete. But if you can get up and down, that's all you really need. If you only make one or two bogeys a round, you're going to make your share of birdies. You can chip and putt for a 70. My short game and my mental game got really bad last year.

Q: Is there anything you wouldn't give to be playing in Pinehurst, NC (site of the US Open) this week?

A: There's a lot I wouldn't give. It's a golf tournament. There's always next year. I play golf for a living. There are a lot of guys who would love to do that. And I need to remember that.

Q: As a Michigan alum, how much do you despise Ohio State?

A: I can't go on the record and say I despise anybody (laughter). But, as far as a rivalry, you don't really root for Ohio State. The fact they are having some problems, paying players, or whatever, it's interesting. But we've got our skeletons in the closet. I enjoy it. I went to basically every Ohio State game. I was there when Woodson was matched up against David Boston. It's a great rivalry.

Q: As much as you travel, week to week, event to event, what is the one thing you pack someone would be surprised to see in your suitcase?

A: I bring my pillow everywhere. I feel comfortable with my pillow. This week I'm staying at Motel 6, so I brought an iron and an ironing board. I bring a fitness ball and a medicine ball. You travel so much, you figure out what you need. But I don't have any weird habits.

Q: During your three years on the Canadian Tour you made $113, 828 Canadian money. Do you have any idea how much money that is in American money?

A: Any idea…it's umm…I think it used to be…yeah, it's about $80,000-something like that. It's amazing. I played there one summer, got to the end of the year, and the exchange rate was $1 dollar American bought a $1.60 Canadian. The Canadian dollar wasn't really worth all that much. I didn't need the money, so I left it in the bank. I came back the next spring, and it was worth a $1.40. I made 12% on the money. I was like, 'great.' I thought that was the greatest thing.

Q: Say you shoot a 79 in a tournament, or something bad, what do you normally do to get away from golf and step away?

A: I pick up the phone, thumb through my phone book, and see who I haven't talked to in a while, and spread the cheer. I kind of do the same things whether I shoot 74 or 64. Step away. Get something to eat. I enjoy watching sports.