Mark Carnevale, who won the 1992 Chattanooga Classic and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year that same year, died suddenly on Monday at the age of 64, according to the tour.
Though Carnevale only won one tournament, he played in 212 PGA Tour tournaments during his career, including 66 appearances on the Korn Ferry Tour.
He moved into broadcasting in 2007, covering PGA Tour events for Sirius/XM Radio and also broadcasting several tournaments for PGA Tour Live on ESPN+.
Carnevale’s last tournament was two weeks ago at the Genesis Scottish Open. He was scheduled to play in the 3M Open this week at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
Carnevale rekindled his playing career at the 1991 Qualifying School and returned to the tour at age 32. In 1994, he was one of five runners-up in a six-man playoff at the Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, missing out on a second title when Neil Lancaster won.
“Mark was a beloved member of the Tour family for a long time,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “He was a member of the elite club of PGA Tour winners and subsequently served in numerous roles within the industry, most recently as a key voice in PGA Tour Radio coverage. Mark knew golf inside and out and did a fantastic job of communicating insight to fans at countless Tour events over the years, with his unique perspective and engaging sense of wit and humor. We will miss Mark and our condolences go out to his loved ones.”
Carnevale’s father, Ben, was the men’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1946.
Carnevale played golf at James Madison University and after graduation worked in the securities industry before returning to golf.