Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect—ranging from fairway relief and pitchmark treatments to club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour informed players of five new local model rules and added one change concerning preferred lies, bringing a total of six new rules that will start with the season opener at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President of Rules and Officiating, told golf.com: ‘Good, reasonable outcomes for golf at the highest level.’ He further explained that the new local model rules, approved by the USGA and R&A effective January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019.
Below, we present the new rules and local model rules and explain the reasoning behind these decisions:
New Golf Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintended Ball Movement
According to Rule 9.4b, a player receives a penalty stroke 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. The player is penalized one stroke but does not play from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a (two penalty strokes) if it later becomes known that they caused the ball movement.
If the player realizes their ball 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 it turns out a player moved the ball and incorrectly assumed it had not moved and did not need replacing, they also receive the general penalty under Rule 14.7a.
This new rule was prompted by an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship in Royal Portrush, where he inadvertently moved the ball during a practice swing on the 12th hole. After the round, officials imposed a two-stroke penalty after lengthy consultation aided by video footage. Lowry found the penalty ‘hard to accept’ but accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Now Allowed When Ball Lies in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
The next rule change addresses when a player’s ball rests in another player’s pitch mark. Previously, relief without penalty was only allowed if the ball was in the player’s own pitch mark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, a player is entitled to penalty-free relief if an official determines the ball lies in a pitch mark below ground level created by another player’s shot. However, repaired pitch marks—intentional or accidental repairs made by club, object, foot, or maintenance—remain unaffected and are not grounds for relief.
This change follows repeated incidents of this kind, including one involving Shane Lowry again at the 2025 Open, where officials denied his relief request after his ball landed in a pitch mark in the second round. Lowry missed his approach shot subsequently and expressed frustration over the decision by striking the turf.
‘Out of Bounds’ Now Applies Only When Ball Is Played from Tee
Because many PGA players have sought advantages by using the fairway of another hole as a shortcut or relief, inner boundary lines (often marked by white stakes) will now only be considered ‘Out of Bounds’ when the ball is