The PGA Tour announced six rule changes, approved by the USGA & R&A that will come into effect at the 2026 season opener, and are aimed at improving fairness, clarity, and consistency at the elite level.
Here’s what’s changing:
- Ball moves without player’s knowledge
If a player unknowingly causes their ball to move and plays it without replacing it, the penalty is now one stroke instead of two. The decision will be based on what the player reasonably knew, a shift prompted by high-profile incidents such as Shane Lowry’s penalty at the 2025 Open Championship. - Relief from any pitch mark
Players will now get free relief if their ball embeds in any unrepaired pitch mark on closely cut areas—not just their own—ending long-standing ambiguity for officials and players. - Internal out of bounds limited to tee shots
Internal out of bounds will apply only to shots played from the tee, preventing players from being unfairly restricted when trying to recover from poor drives. - Expanded relief near greens
Players may take relief from immovable obstructions—not just sprinkler heads—when putting from the fringe or apron, provided the obstruction interferes with the line of play. - Damaged clubs can be repaired or rebuilt
Significantly damaged clubs may now be repaired or rebuilt mid-round using components already in the bag, as long as the damage wasn’t caused by abuse. - Preferred lies reduced
Relief for preferred lies has been reduced from a club-length to scorecard length, aligning the PGA Tour with global standards and addressing player concerns about fairness.
Readers should note that these changes are only on the PGA Tour and not for club or amateur golfers. “These changes are about fairness and consistency,” said PGA Tour rules vice-president Steve Rintoul.
