2022-23 NCGA Super Senior Player of the Year—Joey Ferrari
Stockton resident Joey Ferrari never quit trying to get back to where he once was.
Back in 1992, Ferrari wasn’t just the NCGA’s Player of the Year, he was one of the best amateurs in the nation. But then life struck. For personal reasons, from 1998-2013 he was away from the game. He wouldn’t play competitively for 14 years.
But he never lost his passion for the game.
Thirty-one years after earning Player of the Year honors, Stockton, now 67 and with a touch of gray, finally returned to the top. He’d win Super Senior Player of the Year honors by finishing the season with 1,593 points.
Along the way, he’d win the Antioch City Best-Ball, Stockton City Four-Ball and NCGA Senior Four-Ball. Other highlights included runner-up finishes at the Sacramento County and Sacramento City Super Seniors and a tie for third at the NCGA Senior Valley Amateur.
“Hallelujah!,” Ferrari simply said. “It feels so good to finally be a Player of the Year again. The old Joey is back. I am so grateful.”
In winning the title, Ferrari edged out one of his closest friends, NCGA Hall of Famer Casey Boyns. Boyns finished the season with 1,563 points, just 30 behind Ferrari.
The difference between the two was a 6-foot par putt that Ferrari sank on the 18th hole in the final round of the NCGA Senior Championship at Poppy Hills.
“I remember during that round I was just trying to keep Casey in my sights,” Ferrari said. “I got really caught up in it all. While I ended up winning it, I was pulling for Casey. He’s one of my dearest friends.”
For Ferrari, it’s all been redemption.
“I worked hard to get my game back,” he said. “I had something to prove to not only myself, but also my friends and family. It’s so nice to be back on top.”