The PGA Tour Sirius XM Radio has lost one of its prominent voices with the sudden passing of Mark Carnevale at the age of 64, the PGA Tour reports. A beloved member of the PGA Tour Community had been a former professional golfer, a fact not many in the young generations are aware of, but Carnevale contributed to the game of golf in more than one way!

His story started in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 21, 1960. Carnevale was born into a big family. He had one sister and three brothers. His father was an athletic man. Ben Carnevale was the legendary basketball coach and guided North Carolina’s Tar Heels to its first-ever NCAA finals in 1946, which they eventually lost. Sr. Carnevale then became the head coach at Navy and when Mark Carnevale was only 12, the family moved to Williamsburg, Virginia.

His father became the William & Mary athletic director and his son started getting interested in sports. But unlike basketball, Carnevale’s calling was golf. So golf he did. Confused about which university to join after graduating from high school, Carnevale chose James Madison University, a place he would continue golf and higher education.

Carnevale’s amateur career at James Madison was fruitful, winning two individual collegiate events and many other accolades. He then graduated from university with a marketing major and an economics minor, in 1982. Exactly 19 years later, the golfer was honored and given a place in James Madison’s Hall of Fame board in 1999. From graduating college to becoming a golfer and eventually a Hall of Famer, Carnevale’s journey wasn’t straightforward. He initially chose a different path and started working at a brokerage firm. However, he couldn’t resist the call of the greens for long and ultimately pursued a career as a professional golfer.

Mark Carnevale never wanted to be a pro

As an amateur, Carnevale couldn’t see the professional circuit to be his destiny. He told the Harrisonburg (Virginia) Daily News-Record, “The competition is unbelievable on the TOUR. I enjoy the game too much for that.” But a year in as a broker, the 64-year-old had a change of heart.

In 1983, Carnevale turned professional and started playing on mini-tours and state open circuits. In the following year, he won the Virginia State Open and started working towards getting the PGA Tour card. It took Carnevale seven consecutive attempts to finally become a Tour member in 1992 after winning the 1991 Qualifying Tournament. Before that, he had also won the 1990 Utah Open.

In 212 starts he made on the PGA Tour, the Annapolis native could only win once in his lifetime. That fortune struck in 1992 at the Chattanooga Classic. As a rookie, he surpassed many big names in the field and the victory rewarded him with the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year at the end of the season.

The next time Carnevale ever came close to a triumph, it was at the 1994 Byron Nelson. He made his way to the 5-man playoffs but eventually lost and never found a victory again on the PGA Tour. In 1997, Carnevale was shown his way back to the Korn Ferry Tour. After many top finishes came a win at the Inland Empire Open. This resulted in the former pro being second on the money list, ultimately gaining him membership on the PGA Tour in 1998. Carnevale decided in the early 2000s that he would step away from professional golf. But not the game of golf or the PGA Tour.

Carnevale’s journey of becoming a ‘terrific’ caster on the Tour

Although he retired from golf in 2005, two years before that, Carnevale was still playing on the PGA Tour in the past champions category. But he also had another opportunity to knock at his door. As his professional golf career was coming to an end, Carnevale turned his attention to becoming the tournament director for a Korn Ferry Tour event called the Virginia Beach Open in 2003.

After two years of this stint, the 1-time PGA Tour winner turned his heels back to the PGA Tour but this time as a broadcaster. He joined the PGA Tour’s Radio on Sirius XM and fans loved his commentary and in-depth insights on the event. Even the commissioner, Jay Monahan, praised Carnevale and said, “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,” as he sent his condolences to the Carnevale family.

Most recently, Carnevale was working as the walking reporter at the Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club. He was also a frequent on the PGA Tour LIVE on ESPN+. Carnevale was expected to grace the 3M Open in TPC Twin Cities, Minnesota. However, fate had other plans. His life was one of inspiration and always surrounded by golf, which the whole golf world would remember for decades to come. RIP and condolences to the Carnevale family and his wife, Liz Boudreaux.