PGA TOUR winner, broadcaster Mark Carnevale dies at 64

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Prior to the start of the 1992 PGA TOUR season, Mark Carnevale had played 10 career PGA TOUR tournaments, basically an event here, an event there, after turning pro in 1983.

Then, after toiling on the mini-tour and state-open circuits and seven consecutive unsuccessful trips to Q-School, Carnevale secured his PGA TOUR playing privileges at the 1991 Qualifying Tournament, tying for 18th. At age 32, Carnevale was a rookie all over again.

But after finally arriving to the PGA TOUR stage, his perseverance was put to the test again. In his first 10 PGA TOUR starts as a full-fledged member, Carnevale only made five cuts, his best finish a tie for 39th at the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic (now the Sanderson Farms Championship), played opposite to the Masters, where he cashed a check for $1,081. More missed cuts followed, but a tie for 13th at the BellSouth Classic and a tie for 19th at the Centel Western Open showed glimpses of his game coming around.

It was then, in Tennessee (and Georgia), that his talent met the timing. Carnevale won the Chattanooga Classic at Council Fire Golf Club, shooting a final-round 64 to defeat Ed Dougherty and Dan Forsman by two strokes on a course that is partially in the Volunteer State and partially in Georgia. Although it was the lone TOUR victory for Carnevale – earning him PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors – it set him forward on a path to make golf his forever career, either as a player, an administrator or, most recently, a broadcaster.

Carnevale died unexpectedly on Monday, July 22, 2024. He was 64.

“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 grew up in a family with sports at the center. His father, Ben, was the head basketball coach at North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels to their first NCAA tournament appearance in only his second season in Chapel Hill, in 1946. That year, the team finished with a 30-5 record, losing to Oklahoma A&M, 43-40, in the title game. The elder Carnevale eventually left UNC and landed as the head coach at Navy, a job he held for 20 years, until 1966. Once Ben retired from coaching, the family moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, when Mark was 12 when his dad became the William & Mary athletic director.

Carnevale’s sport, however, was golf, and he considered playing for William & Mary while weighing golf scholarship offers following high school. However, he eventually signed to play for James Madison.

Despite a sterling collegiate record even while missing his entire sophomore season due to injury, Carnevale originally didn’t have professional golf aspirations, telling the Harrisonburg (Virginia) Daily News-Record, “The competition is unbelievable on the TOUR. I enjoy the game too much for that.”

Carnevale then had a change of heart about professional golf after working, briefly, for a brokerage firm post-graduation.

Upon his return to competitive golf, Carnevale played the occasional PGA TOUR tournament, competed on various mini-tours and went on to win the 1990 Utah Open, coming from eight strokes back on the final day to force a playoff. Less than two years later, Carnevale had made it to the PGA TOUR, walking away with Rookie of the Year honors following his Chattanooga victory that placed him 70th on the year’s final money list.

In 1994, his last, best shot at winning came when he was part of the six-man playoff at the rain-shortened Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, a tournament Neal Lancaster won. Carnevale saw his fortunes fall after that, dropping to 185th on the money list in 1996. While splitting his time between the PGA TOUR and the Korn Ferry Tour in 1997, he again found success.

Carnevale opened the 1997 Korn Ferry Tour season by finishing second at the Lakeland (Florida) Classic. He then traveled cross-country and won the Inland Empire Open in California in his next start. He tied for second in start No. 3 then was third in his fourth appearance that season, in Louisiana. On the strength of that early success, Carnevale held the No. 1 spot on the money list for 11 weeks and eventually finished second, behind Chris Smith, giving him another year of PGA TOUR membership, in 1998.

Carnevale eventually walked away from the touring professional life, becoming tournament director of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Virginia Beach Open in 2003, while still making occasional TOUR appearances playing out of the past-champion category. In his playing career, Carnevale competed in 212 PGA TOUR tournaments and made 66 Korn Ferry Tour starts.

In 2005, Carnevale made another pivot. With a big smile and a booming voice, Mark began a broadcasting career as a reporter working at PGA TOUR tournaments for SiriusXM Radio. He also covered some tournaments for PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+. The final tournament Carnevale worked as a broadcaster came at the Genesis Scottish Open just two weeks ago, where he was a walking reporter for PGA TOUR Radio, describing the action from The Renaissance Club. Carnevale was slated to work this week’s 3M Open from Blaine, Minnesota.

“Mark Carnevale was an integral part of live coverage on our streaming platforms and PGA TOUR Radio coverage. He was a consummate professional, who was respected by the PGA TOUR players he covered, and his insightful analysis and humor will be greatly missed,” said Greg Hopfe, PGA TOUR Entertainment senior vice president and executive producer.

Carnevale is survived by four siblings: sister Jeanne (Skip Hansford); brothers Robert (Karen), Dave (Nancy) and Dan (Lana); and the love of his life Liz Boudreaux. Funeral services are pending.