He'd push his drive to the right but was able to land his second shot pin-high, leaving him a 60-foot chip for eagle. That missed, but his ball stopped just two feet of the flagstick, leading to the birdie he so desperately needed.
"It feels fantastic to finally win an NCGA tournament individually. It's been a long time coming," said Staskus, who would shoot a final round 1-over 72 to finish with a two-day total of even-par 142. "I've been playing some great golf and you need to get some breaks to win a championship like this, and today I got a few."
While Staskus came up clutch on both 17 and 18, both Ferrari and Knoll slipped. Ferrari, who was in search of his fifth career NCGA title, bogeyed both holes. Knoll, a record-five NCGA Senior Player of the Year and the 2022 Super Senior Player of the Year, meanwhile doubled the 18th when his drive ended up behind a tree. Ferrari and Knoll both finished at 144 after final rounds of 76 and 74, respectively.
"Joey and Jim are both such great players. I just tried to hit one shot at a time and tried to get to the final hole," Staskus said.
Ferrari, the NCGA Player of the Year in 1992, had entered the final round holding a two-shot edge over Knoll and Staskus after a first-round 68.
"The chip on 17 it hit and just checked perfectly," Staskus said. "It could've easily been a six instead of a birdie. On 18 I was going to hit 3-wood off the tee but then decided to go for the win and hit driver. I told myself to trust my swing, and I ended up making four."