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 change regarding preferred lies. The season kicks off with six new rules next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President for Rules and Officials, told golf.com, \”Good, sensible outcomes for golf at the highest level.\” He added that these new local model rules, adopted by the USGA and R&A from January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019.
Key PGA Tour Rule Changes for 2026
One new rule clarifies penalty strokes for unintentional ball movement under Rule 9.4b: a player incurs a penalty stroke if they move their ball and fail to replace it before their next shot, even if unaware the ball moved. However, if it’s later known the player caused the movement, it is not considered playing from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a (two penalty strokes). If the player notices the ball moved and plays from the new spot without replacing it, the general penalty under 14.7a applies.
This change was inspired by Shane Lowry’s incident at the 2025 Open Championship, where he unintentionally moved his ball during a practice swing, subsequently receiving a two-stroke penalty after review.
The relief rule now allows players to take relief without penalty when their ball lies in another player’s pitch mark, expanding beyond just their own pitch marks as per Rule 16.3b. Repaired pitch marks do not count for relief. This was also prompted by a recent incident involving Lowry at the 2025 Open.
Another key update restricts \”Out of Bounds\” to only when a ball is played from the tee, preventing players from being unfairly penalized for balls straying into adjacent fairways during play.
Additional Rule Updates and Player Equity Program Expansion
Relief is now permitted for immovable obstructions on closely mown areas near greens, such as sprinklers or microphone holes, if they interfere with the player’s line of play (Rule 16.1).
Players may now repair damaged clubs during a round using replacement parts carried in their bags (Rule 4.1b(4)), allowing efficient on-course repairs without penalty or the risk of exceeding the 14-club limit.
The relief area on poor fairways has been reduced from one club-length (approx. 46 inches) to one scorecard-length (approx. 11 inches) when taking preferred lies, aligning PGA Tour rules with other major golf bodies to ensure fairer competition.
The PGA Tour also expanded its Player Equity Program to include the FedEx Cup’s top 50, increasing the total players with equity stakes