Six new PGA Tour rules take effect, covering fairway relief, pitch marks, and club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour notified players of five new local model rules and added a sixth regarding preferred lies, all starting with the season kickoff at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, next week. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President of Rules and Refereeing, told golf.com these changes represent a continuation of the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019, following adoption by the USGA and R&A effective January 1, 2026.
Below we present the new rules and the reasons behind the decisions:
New Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movement
Under 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 or could have moved. However, the player does not incur a penalty for playing from the wrong place (Rule 14.7a) if it is later discovered they caused the movement. If the player is aware the ball moved, does not replace it, and plays from the new spot, they receive the general penalty for playing from the wrong place.
This rule arose from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship, where a practice swing caused slight ball movement unnoticed by him but detected via video review by officials, resulting in a two-stroke penalty which Lowry accepted.
Penalty-Free Relief When Ball in Opponent’s Pitch Mark
Previously, relief without penalty was granted only if the ball lay in the player’s own pitch mark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, a player may claim free relief if a ball rests in a pitch mark below ground level created by another player’s stroke, provided an official confirms this. Repaired pitch marks do not qualify for relief, regardless of repair quality or method.
This change follows repeat incidents and notably Lowry’s experience at the same Open Championship, where his relief request was denied when his ball lay in another player’s pitch mark.
Out-of-Bounds Applies Only from the Tee
To prevent players from gaining unfair shortcuts by using other holes’ fairways, inside out-of-bounds boundaries (commonly marked by white stakes) will now be considered out-of-bounds only when the ball is played from the tee. Earlier, players were sometimes restricted when encountering such boundaries mid-hole, complicating recovery shots.
Additional Rule Updates
Relief is now possible for immovable obstructions on closely mowed aprons near greens if putting is a customary stroke on that surface (Rule 16.1). Furthermore, Rule 4.1b(4) allows players to repair damaged clubs during a round using components carried in their bag, such as a spare clubhead, without penalty or excess club rules violation, expediting repairs.
The relief area on poor fairways is reduced from one club length (~46 inches) to one scorecard length (~11 inches) in preferred lies situations, aligning with other tours and promoting fairer competition by preventing excessive movement away from the original ball location.