Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect—from fairway relief and pitch marks to club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players of five new local model rules and added a sixth rule change concerning preferred lies, kicking off the season next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, the PGA Tour’s Vice President of Rules and Officials, told golf.com, \”Good, reasonable outcomes for the highest level of golf.\” He noted that the new local model rules, approved by the USGA and R&A effective January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rules that began in 2019.
Key PGA Tour Rules Changes for 2026 Season
A new golf rule clarifies penalties for unintentional ball movements: under Rule 9.4b, a player receives a penalty stroke if they move a resting ball and fail to replace it before their next shot, even if unaware the ball moved. However, if the player knows the ball moved and does not replace it, they incur the general penalty for playing from the wrong place under Rule 14.7a.
This change was prompted by an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship, where he unintentionally moved his ball during a practice swing and was assessed a two-stroke penalty after officials reviewed television footage. Lowry accepted the penalty despite finding it hard to accept.
Another adjustment allows relief without penalty when a player’s ball rests in an opponent’s pitch mark. Previously, relief was only permitted if the ball was in the player’s own pitch mark. Under Rule 16.3b, relief applies if a rules official confirms the ball lies in a pitch mark caused by another player’s stroke, provided the pitch mark is unrepaired. Repaired pitch marks, regardless of repair quality, remain in play.
The \”Out of Bounds\” rule now only applies from the tee. Previously, internal boundary markers (usually white stakes) could restrict shots during play when players used other fairways for shortcuts. Now, these boundaries count as Out of Bounds strictly on tee shots, allowing more shot options from the fairway without penalty.
Additional Rule Updates and Player Equity Program Expansion
Players can now seek relief from immovable obstructions on closely mowed aprons if putting is a normal stroke on that area, such as sprinkler heads or ground microphone holes, under the new interpretation of Rule 16.1. Also, damaged clubs may be repaired during the round using replacement parts carried in the player’s bag, improving efficiency without violating club limits.
The relief area around poor fairway conditions has been reduced from one club length (approx. 46 inches) to one scorecard length (approx. 11 inches) in preferred lies situations, aligning with other tournaments for fairer competition during extreme mud or poor turf conditions.
Furthermore, the PGA Tour is expanding its Player Equity Program to