Carnevale passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 22, 2024, at the age of 64. Mark Carnevale had turned pro in 1983 and had competed in ten PGA TOUR events before the 1992 season got off. It was essentially an event here, an event there. Following seven fruitless attempts to Q-School and years of toiling on the mini-tour and state-open circuits, Carnevale finally earned a spot on the PGA TOUR by tying for 18th at the 1991 Qualifying Tournament. Carnevale was a rookie again at thirty-two years old.
However, his tenacity was tested once more after he made it to the PGA TOUR stage. Carnevale only made five cuts in his first ten events on the PGA TOUR as a full member; his best result came in a tie for 39th at the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic (now the Sanderson Farms Championship), which was held in front of the Masters and earned him a check for $1,081. More poor cuts came after, but he did show signs of improvement with ties for 13th place at the BellSouth Classic and 19th place at the Centel Western Open.
That’s when his talent and timing came together in Tennessee (and Georgia). At Council Fire Golf Club, which is located in both Georgia and the Volunteer State, Carnevale defeated Ed Dougherty and Dan Forsman by two strokes in the final round of the Chattanooga Classic. Carnevale won the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year award for his one and only TOUR triumph, but it also put him on the path to making golf his lifetime career, whether it be as a player, an administrator, or, most recently, a broadcaster.
