Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect – from fairway relief and pitchmark rulings to equipment repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players of five new local model rules and added a sixth concerning preferred lies. These changes will debut at the season opener, the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, next week. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President of Rules and Officiating, told golf.com that these are \”good, sensible outcomes for golf at the highest level,\” explaining that these local rules, adopted by USGA and R&A starting January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019.
PGA Tour Rule Changes: Key Updates for 2026 Season
One notable new rule clarifies penalties for accidental ball movements under Rule 9.4b: a player who moves a resting ball unknowingly and fails to replace it before the next stroke receives a one-stroke penalty but does not incur a two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place if it is later found they caused the movement. If the player realizes the ball moved and does not replace it, playing the ball from the new spot results in the standard penalty for playing from a wrong place. This rule was prompted by an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where video evidence showed he had accidentally moved his ball.
Another update allows relief without penalty when a ball comes to rest in an opponent’s pitchmark, expanding the previous relief which applied only to a player’s own pitchmark, per Rule 16.3b. Relief is granted only if an official confirms the ball lies in a pitchmark below ground level caused by another player’s shot; repaired pitchmarks do not qualify. This change follows several cases including again Lowry’s at the 2025 Open, when officials denied relief, leading to visible frustration.
\”Out of Bounds\” markings will now apply only from the tee shot to prevent players from gaining unfair shortcuts across adjacent fairways. This change addresses scenarios where players were constrained by boundaries when trying to recover from obstacles like trees.
Relief from immovable obstructions on closely mown aprons or fringe areas is now permitted when such areas support putting as a standard stroke. Officials can grant relief if the ball is obstructed on the putting line as per Rule 16.1.
Players may now repair damaged clubs during a round using parts carried in their bags, such as replacement club heads, allowing quicker repairs without needing to return to the locker room—this is not considered carrying an extra club under the rules.
The relief area on poor fairways has been reduced from one club length (about 46 inches) to a scorecard length (approximately 11 inches) for preferred lies, aligning with other tournaments. This aims to prevent players from manipulating ball position too far from its