Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect, covering fairway relief, pitch marks, and club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players of five new local rules and included an additional change regarding preferred lies. As a result, the season opener next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, will feature a total of six new rules. 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.’ He explained that the new local rules approved by the USGA and R&A starting January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019.
Below, we outline the new rules and explain the reasoning behind each decision:
New Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movement
According to Rule 9.4b, a player incurs a one-stroke penalty if they move their resting ball and fail to replace it before their next stroke, even if unaware the ball had moved or could have moved. However, the player does not play from a wrong place (Rule 14.7a – two-stroke penalty) if it becomes known later that they caused the ball to move.
If the player notices the ball has moved, does not replace it, and plays from the new spot, they receive the general penalty under Rule 14.7a for playing from the wrong place. Similarly, if later it emerges that the player did cause the ball to move but mistakenly believed they did not have to replace it, the general penalty applies.
This new rule stems from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship in Royal Portrush, where he accidentally moved the ball during a practice swing without realizing it. After the round, officials reviewed footage and imposed a two-stroke penalty. Lowry called the penalty ‘hard to accept’ but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Allowed When Ball Lies in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
Another change involves situations where a ball rests in another player’s pitch mark. Previously, relief without penalty was only granted if the ball lay in the player’s own pitch mark. Now, per Rule 16.3b, a player may claim relief without penalty if an official determines the ball lies in a pitch mark below ground level created by another player’s stroke. Pitch marks that have been repaired, intentionally or accidentally, do not entitle relief, regardless of repair quality. A repaired pitch mark includes those fixed with clubs, other implements, or feet, and even if a groundskeeper’s actions (like mowing) have partially concealed it but a depression remains visible.
This rule change follows repeated incidents, notably including Lowry at the 2025 Open, where his relief request was denied after his ball landed in a pitch mark, contributing to a missed