Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect, covering fairway relief, pitchmarks, and club repairs.On Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced five new local model rules to players and added a rule change regarding preferred lies, bringing a total of six new rules starting next week at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President of Rules and Officials, told golf.com: ‘Good, sensible outcomes for golf at the highest level.’ He further explained that these local model rules, adopted by the USGA and R&A from January 1, 2026, continue the modernization of the rulebook initiated in 2019.
New Golf Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movements
According to 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 does not play from an incorrect location (Rule 14.7a—two strokes penalty) if it becomes known later that they caused the ball movement. If the player noticed the ball moved and plays without replacing it, the general penalty for playing from the wrong place applies under Rule 14.7a. This rule originated from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship, where a backswing caused minimal ball movement unnoticed at the 12th hole. Officials imposed a two-stroke penalty after reviewing TV footage; Lowry accepted the decision despite finding it hard to accept.
Relief Without Penalty Now Allowed for Balls in Opponent’s Pitchmark
The next rule change addresses balls coming to rest in another player’s pitchmark. Previously, relief without penalty applied only if the ball lay in the player’s own pitchmark. Now under Rule 16.3b, a player can claim relief if an official confirms the ball lies in a pitchmark made by another player below ground level. Repaired pitchmarks remain unaffected regardless of repair quality; a repaired pitchmark includes those fixed intentionally or accidentally using a club, other objects, or foot. Even if the greenkeeper has driven over it, visible depression counts as repaired. This change comes after repeated cases, including another involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open, where officials denied relief for a ball in a pitchmark, leading to his frustration after a missed approach shot.
‘Out of Bounds’ Applies Only from the Tee
To prevent players from gaining unfair advantages by using other holes’ fairways as shortcuts, the rule now states that interior out-of-bounds boundaries, often marked by white stakes, apply only to shots played from the tee. Previously, players faced penalties or restrictions when trapped near obstacles due to these boundaries, limiting recovery shots. The rule originally discouraged using other holes’ fairways as shortcuts and now is limited to tee shots only.
Other Key Rule Updates for PGA Tour 2026 Season
Players may now claim relief for immovable obstructions on closely mown aprons or surrounds if they affect the line of play, per new Rule 16.1. Damaged clubs can be repaired on the spot using spare parts carried in the bag without penalty, allowing more efficient repairs than previously when walking to replace clubs was required. The PGA Tour also reduces the relief area on poor fairways from one club