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, adding a sixth change concerning preferred lies. The season opens next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a total of six new rules. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President of Rules and Refereeing, told golf.com that these are \”good, sensible outcomes for the highest level of golf.\” He explained that these new local model rules, effective January 1, 2026, adopted by the USGA and R&A, are a continuation of the rule modernization effort that began in 2019.
Below we outline the new rules and the reasoning behind these decisions:
New Golf Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movement
According to Rule 9.4b, a player receives a penalty stroke if they move their stationary ball and fail to replace it before their next stroke, even if unaware the ball moved or could have moved. The player is penalized one stroke but does not play from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a (two penalty strokes) if it later emerges they caused the movement. However, if the player notices the ball moved, does not replace it, and plays from the new spot, the general penalty under Rule 14.7a applies for playing from the wrong place. This change followed an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship in Royal Portrush, where he unintentionally moved the ball during a practice swing and was subsequently penalized two strokes after officials reviewed video footage. Lowry found the penalty \”hard to accept\” but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Now Allowed for Balls in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
The next change concerns when a player’s ball rests in another player’s pitch mark. Previously, penalty-free relief applied only if the ball rested in the player’s own pitch mark. Under new Rule 16.3b, a player may obtain relief without penalty if a rules official determines the ball lies in a pitch mark below ground created by another player’s stroke. A repaired pitch mark is excluded from this rule, regardless of repair quality, such as those fixed with a club, foot, or other means. Even if a greenkeeper mowed over the pitch mark leaving an indentation visible, it counts as repaired. This rule was prompted by repeated incidents, including another involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open, where his request for relief was denied after his ball landed in a pitch mark, leading to frustration and a missed approach shot.
‘Out of Bounds’ Applies Only From the Tee
To prevent players from gaining unfair advantages by using the fairway of another hole as a shortcut, inner out-of-bounds boundaries (often marked by white stakes) now apply only when hitting from the tee. Previously, players were restricted by out-of-bounds areas during other shots, sometimes unable to chip back onto the fairway due to obstacles like trees. This adjustment focuses the rule’s application exclusively on tee shots to allow more freedom of play elsewhere on the course.
Additional Main PGA Tour Rules Changes
Relief is now allowed for immovable obstructions on closely