Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect covering fairway relief, pitch marks, and club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour communicated five new local model rules to players and added a rule change concerning 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, ‘Good, sensible outcomes for the game at the highest level.’ He further explained that these local model rules, adopted by the USGA and R&A effective January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rules process started in 2019.
The new rules and local model rules are detailed below along with the reasoning behind these decisions:
New Golf Rule on Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movement
Under Rule 9.4b, a player incurs a penalty stroke if they move their resting ball and fail to replace it before their next stroke, even if unaware the ball moved or could have moved. However, the player is not considered to have played from a wrong place (Rule 14.7a, two-stroke penalty) if it is later revealed they caused the ball movement. If the player notices ball movement but does not replace the ball and plays from the new spot, they get the general penalty under Rule 14.7a for playing from the wrong place. If it later becomes known the player caused the ball to move but incorrectly assumed no movement and failed to replace the ball, the general penalty also applies.
This new rule arose from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush when a practice swing at the 12th hole slightly moved his ball unnoticed. After the round, officials reviewed broadcast footage and imposed a two-stroke penalty. Lowry described the ruling as ‘hard to accept’ but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty Relief Now Allowed for Ball in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
The next rule change concerns instances when a player’s ball rests in another player’s pitch mark. Previously, free relief was only allowed if the ball was in the player’s own pitch mark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, a player may claim free relief if an official determines the ball rests in a pitch mark below ground level caused by another player’s stroke. Repaired pitch marks, whether repaired intentionally or accidentally, regardless of quality, are unaffected by this rule. For example, pitch marks repaired with a club, object, or foot are considered repaired. Even if a greenkeeper’s mower passes over a pitch mark and a depression remains, it counts as repaired.
This update comes after repeated occurrences of this issue, including again for Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship when officials denied relief after his ball landed in a pitch mark during round two, leading to a missed approach shot and an expression of frustration by Lowry on the turf.
‘Out of Bounds’ Now Only From the Tee
As some PGA players have used neighboring fairways to shorten shots or gain advantage, inside boundary lines (often marked by white stakes) will now only be designated Out of Bounds when the ball is played from the tee. There have been situations where players were restricted