Mark Carnevale, who won the 1992 Chattanooga Classic and earned PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors that same year, died suddenly on Monday, according to the Tour. He was 64.
Carnevale won just the one tournament but in his career he appeared in 212 PGA Tour tournaments and made another 66 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
In 2007, he transitioned to broadcasting, joining Sirius/XM radio coverage of PGA Tour events. He also covered some tournaments for PGA Tour Live on ESPN+.
Carnevale’s last event was the Genesis Scottish Open two weeks ago. He was scheduled to work this week’s 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
It was in the 1991 Q school where Carnevale reignited his playing career, rejoining the tour at age 32. In 1994, he fell short of a second win at the Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, as he was among the five runnersup in a six-man playoff where Neal Lancaster prevailed.
Mark Carnevale in action during the 1998 Greater Milwaukee Open at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Milwaukee. (Getty Images)
“Mark was a beloved part of the Tour family for a long time,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “He was a member of that elite club, a PGA Tour winner, and then he held numerous roles within the industry, most recently as a significant voice in PGA Tour Radio’s coverage. Mark knew the game and did a terrific job of conveying insights from his unique point of view – and with an engaging wit and sense of humor – to fans from countless Tour events through the years. We will miss Mark and send our condolences to his loved ones.”
Carnevale’s dad, Ben, was the men’s basketball coach at North Carolina, where he led the Tar Heels to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1946.
Carnevale played college golf at James Madison. He worked at a brokerage firm upon graduation before returning to golf.