Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect, covering fairway relief, pitchmarks, and club repairs for the 2026 season.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players of five new local model rules and expanded the changes with an additional rule modification for preferred lies. This brings a total of six new rules starting next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, Vice President of Rules and Officiating for the PGA Tour, told golf.com that these changes are \”good, sensible outcomes for golf at the highest level.\” He explained that the new local model rules, approved by the USGA and R&A effective January 1, 2026, continue the modernization process initiated in 2019.
Below we present the new rules and local models, explaining the reasoning behind these decisions:
New Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movement
According to Rule 9.4b, a player receives a one-stroke penalty if they move their stationary ball and fail to replace it before their next stroke, even if unaware the ball moved. However, the player has not played from a wrong place (Rule 14.7a, two-stroke penalty) if it later emerges they caused the ball to move.
If the player knew the ball moved, does not replace it, and plays from the new spot, they incur the general penalty for playing from the wrong place under Rule 14.7a. The general penalty also applies if it is later found the player caused the ball to move but mistakenly believed it had not and did not replace it.
This rule was prompted by an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where he inadvertently moved his ball during a practice swing on the 12th hole without realizing it. After the round, officials assessed a two-stroke penalty following extensive review of television footage. Lowry described the penalty as \”hard to accept\” but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Now Allowed When Ball Lies in Opponent’s Pitchmark
Another change addresses situations where a player’s ball rests in another player’s pitchmark. Previously, penalty-free relief was only allowed if the ball was in the player’s own pitchmark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, a player is entitled to penalty-free relief when an official determines the ball lies in a pitchmark below ground level made by another player’s stroke. Repaired pitchmarks, regardless of repair quality or completeness—whether fixed with a club, foot, or machinery—are not eligible for relief.
This change followed repeated incidents including at the 2025 Open Championship where Lowry’s request for relief was denied after his ball landed in