Six new PGA Tour rules come into effect – from fairway relief to pitch marks and club repairs.
On Tuesday, the PGA Tour shared five new local model rules with players and added a rule change regarding preferred lies. The season opener, the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, will see a total of six new rules starting next week. Steven Rintoul, PGA Tour Vice President for Rules and Officiating, told golf.com these are \”good, sensible outcomes for the game at the highest level.\” He explained these new local model rules, approved by the USGA and R&A from January 1, 2026, are a continuation of the modernization process initiated in 2019.
Below we present the new rules and local model rules, detailing the reasons behind these changes:
New Golf Rule Clarifies Penalties for Unintentional Ball Movements
According to Rule 9.4b, a player is penalized one stroke if they move their resting ball and fail to replace it before their next shot, even if they were unaware that 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 determined that they caused the movement.
If the player realizes the 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. Also, if it later emerges that the player moved the ball and assumed incorrectly they did not move it and must replace it, they receive the general penalty under Rule 14.7a.
This rule stemmed from an incident involving Shane Lowry at the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where during a practice swing on hole 12 he slightly moved his ball without noticing. After the round, officials, using video evidence, assessed a two-stroke penalty. Lowry found the penalty \”hard to accept\” but ultimately accepted it without dispute.
Penalty-Free Relief Now Allowed When Ball Lies in Another Player’s Pitch Mark
The next rule change concerns when a ball rests in another player’s pitch mark. Previously, penalty-free relief was only available if the ball lay in the player’s own pitch mark. Now, under Rule 16.3b, players may take penalty-free relief if an official determines the ball lies in a pitch mark below ground level created by another player’s stroke. A repaired pitch mark remains unaffected by this rule, regardless of the quality or completeness of repair, for example, repaired by a club, object, or foot. Even if a greenskeeper has mowed over the pitch mark but a depression remains visible, it is considered repaired.
This change follows repeated incidents, including Shane Lowry’s at the 2025 Open, when officials denied his relief request after his ball landed in a pitch mark, leading to a missed approach shot and visible frustration expressed on the turf he played from.
\”Out of Bounds\” Now Applies Only From the Tee
With players often seeking shortcuts, it was common to use another hole’s fairway to gain advantage. Now, internal out-of-bounds boundaries (usually marked with white stakes) apply only when