"Everybody can get better on 15 minutes per day."
"You can even get better on 5 minutes per day."
Tom Tucker, Unrenowned Golf Coach 😄
Tom's Featured Tip: 2026 PGA Tour Rules Changes & Controversy
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2026 PGA Tour Rules Changes & Controversy
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The Divot Board
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2026 PGA Tour Rules Changes & Controversy
The PGA Tour enacted six Local Rules changes for 2026, with some interesting angles:
- Preferred Lies Relief Reduction: When "lift, clean, and place" is in effect, the relief area is reduced from one club-length to a single scorecard length (~11 inches).
- Immovable Obstruction Relief: Relief for obstructions (e.g., microphone holes) is expanded, particularly around the putting greens and in closely cut areas (not just sprinkler heads).
- Damaged Club Replacement: A player can replace a significantly damaged club during a round with components from their bag, provided the damage wasn't intentional abuse.
- Expanded Embedded Ball Relief: Relief is now available for a ball embedded in any pitch mark in closely cut areas (fairway), not just their own.
- Unintentional Ball Movement Penalty: If a player moves their ball, outside the putting green, (e.g., during setup or in the woods) and is unaware, playing from the wrong spot is
now a one-stroke penalty instead of two.
- Internal Out of Bounds Limitation: Internal OB now only applies to the tee shot, meaning recovery shots from adjacent holes are not penalized, stopping unfair penalties for balls rebounding backward.
Rule change #5 clearly violates this principle, and in regard to #6, the Rules of Golf state, "The Rules do not contemplate an area having more than one status during the play of a hole, and so an area must not be marked as out of bounds for certain strokes, or strokes made from certain areas such as the teeing area."
The other Local Rules changes (except for #1) by the PGA Tour also do not adhere to what a committee is permitted to do under the Rules of Golf.
Controversy - And I Love It
Does this mean the PGA Tour is testing the waters to see if it can enact Local Rules outside the purview of what is permitted by the USGA? The most obvious reason they may be doing this concerns the ball rollback to be enacted in 2030. The PGA Tour has made it clear it does not like the rollback, and this may be a precursor of them refusing to go along with it. It will be interesting to see what happens going forward.
I've personally felt that the rules of golf were created and enacted by a group of stodgy, arrogant, aristocrats. Good for the PGA Tour, and I hope they do resist the 2030 ball change rollback. Most of us mere mortals have to fight for every yard gained off the tee, the last thing we need is a rollback on distance, even if it turns out to be a bifurcated rule.
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Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, The Stack and Tilt Swing
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, and remember that golf is a game of discovery. Don't be afraid to experiment when you practice, it's good for your golfing brain.
Tom
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Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
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Sponsors and Affiliates
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
Batavia Country Club (585) 343-7600 www.bataviacc.com
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Tee times online or by phone in season.
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All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Professional, Batavia Country Club
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
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"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection1"
~ Ben Hogan