Six new PGA Tour rules take effect, from fairway relief and pitch marks to club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players about five new local model rules and added a sixth relating to preferred lies. These six new rules will come into force starting next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, the PGA Tour’s Vice President for Rules and Officiating, told golf.com, ‘Good, sensible outcomes for the game at the highest level.’ He explained that these local model rules, which will be adopted by the USGA and R&A effective January 1, 2026, are part of the ongoing modernization of golf’s rulebook started in 2019.
Below we present the new rules and local model rules along with the rationale behind these changes:
New Rule Clarifies Penalty for Unintended Ball Movement
According to Rule 9.4b, a player incurs a one-stroke penalty if they move their stationary 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 under Rule 14.7a (two-stroke penalty) if it later becomes known that they caused the movement. If the player recognized that the ball moved and did not replace it but played from the displaced position, the general penalty under Rule 14.7a applies. This rule emerged from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where he inadvertently moved his ball during a practice swing and was penalized two strokes after officials reviewed video evidence. Lowry found the penalty difficult to accept but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Now Allowed for Ball in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
The next change concerns when a player’s ball comes to rest in a pitch mark made by another player. Previously, penalty-free relief was only permitted if the ball rested in one’s own pitch mark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, a player is allowed relief if an official determines the ball lies within a pitch mark below ground level made by another player’s stroke. Repaired pitch marks do not qualify for relief, regardless of repair quality, and includes marks fixed intentionally or accidentally with clubs, other objects, or feet. Even if the greenkeeper has run over the pitch mark with a mower but the indentation is still visible, it is considered repaired. This rule change followed repeated occurrences, including another incident with Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open when officials denied his relief request after his ball landed in a pitch mark during round two, causing him to miss his approach shot and express frustration on the turf.
“Out of Bounds” Now Only Applies from the Tee
Because players often seek advantages by using the fairway of another hole as a shortcut, the new rule specifies that interior boundary stakes