Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect – easing play on fairways, pitch marks, and club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players about five new local model rules and added a rule change for preferred lies. The 2026 season opener at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, will start with a total of six new rules. Steven Rintoul, the PGA Tour’s Vice President for Rules and Refereeing, told golf.com: ‘Good, reasonable results for the sport at the highest level.’ He elaborated that these new local model rules, effective January 1, 2026, adopted by the USGA and R&A, continue the modernization of the rules that began in 2019.
Below we present the new rules and local model rules and explain the reasons behind these decisions:
New Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movement
According to Rule 9.4b, a player receives a penalty stroke if they move their resting ball and fail to replace it before the next stroke, even if unaware the ball had moved or could have moved. The player is not considered to have played from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a (two penalty strokes) if it later becomes known they caused the movement.
If the player realizes the ball has moved, does not replace it, and plays from the new spot, they incur the general penalty under Rule 14.7a. Similarly, if it is later found the player moved the ball but mistakenly believed they did not, the general penalty applies.
This new rule resulted from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where he slightly moved the ball during a practice swing without noticing. Officials assessed a two-stroke penalty after reviewing footage. Lowry found the penalty hard to accept but ultimately accepted it without dispute.
Relief Without Penalty Now Allowed for Ball Resting in Another Player’s Pitchmark
Previously, relief without penalty was permitted only if the ball rested in the player’s own pitchmark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, a player may take relief if a rules official confirms the ball lies in a pitchmark below ground level created by another player’s shot. However, repaired pitchmarks remain excluded from relief, regardless of the repair’s quality or completeness. Repairs include fixing a pitchmark with a club, object, or foot. Even a pitchmark partially covered by a lawnmower but still visible is considered repaired.
This change follows repeated incidents and another at the 2025 Open Championship, where Lowry’s ball settled in a pitchmark and officials denied relief, causing him to miss his next shot and express frustration.
“Out of Bounds” Only Applies When Ball Is Played from the Tee
To prevent players from gaining unfair advantages by using other holes’ fairways as shortcuts, inside boundaries marked by white stakes will now be deemed out of bounds only when the ball is driven from the tee. This rule change follows situations where players were restricted by boundaries after reaching obstacles, preventing easy return shots. It aims to reduce restrictions but maintain fair play regarding shortcuts.