Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect, covering fairway relief, pitch marks, and club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players of five new local model rules and added a sixth change regarding preferred lies. Thus, the 2026 season kicks off with these six new rules at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, Vice President of Rules and Refereeing for the PGA Tour, told golf.com that these are \”good, sensible outcomes for top-level golf.\” The new local rules, effective January 1, 2026, and approved by the USGA and R&A, continue the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019.
Below, we present the new rules and local model rules, explaining the reasoning behind these decisions:
New Golf Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movements
According to Rule 9.4b, a player incurs a penalty stroke if they move their resting ball and fail to replace it before their next stroke, even if unaware that the ball had moved or could have moved. The player is penalized one stroke but is not considered to have played from the wrong place (Rule 14.7a – two penalty strokes) if it later becomes clear that they caused the ball movement.
If the player notices the ball moved, does not replace it, and plays from the new spot, they receive the general penalty under Rule 14.7a for playing from the wrong place. Similarly, if it later emerges that the player caused the ball to move but assumed otherwise, the general penalty applies.
This new rule arose from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where he unintentionally moved his ball during a practice swing at hole 12. Officials assessed a two-stroke penalty after reviewing video evidence. Lowry found the penalty \”hard to accept\” but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Now Allowed for Ball in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
Another rule change permits penalty-free relief when a player’s ball rests in the pitch mark of another player. Previously, relief was only granted when the ball was in the player’s own pitch mark. Under Rule 16.3b, relief is granted if an official determines the ball lies in a pitch mark below ground level made by another player’s stroke. Repaired pitch marks do not qualify for this relief regardless of repair quality, meaning intentional or accidental repairs with clubs, objects, or feet negate this relief. Even if pitch marks have been driven over by a mower but still visible as depressions, they are considered repaired.
Repeated incidents of this nature, notably involving Shane Lowry again at the 2025 Open Championship, led to refusal