PGA Tour Adjusts Controversial Preferred Lies Rule

Revealed by Tour pro Michael Kim, the relief area has been reduced from a full club length to the length of a scorecard when preferred lies are in effect.

The PGA Tour has made a rule change for when there are wet conditions. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

According to world No. 36 Michael Kim, the PGA Tour is making a rule modification.

When preferred lies (lift, clean and place) are in effect, the relief area has been reduced from a full club length to the length of a scorecard. 

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And Kim is a fan of the rule alteration. 

“Experienced it during DP World Tour and thought it was much better,” the 2025 Open de France winner wrote on X. “A full club length can really change the angle of a chip shot sometimes.” 

All scorecards on the PGA Tour are the same length, roughly 12 inches. 

Great new rule change to the pgatour lift clean and place rule. Instead of a full club length relief, it’s only scorecard relief. Experienced it during DP world tour and thought it was much better. A full club length can really change the angle of a chip shot some times pic.twitter.com/cJveuldcI1

— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) January 6, 2026

The objective is to “provide fairer outcomes during competitions as the ball will be played from closer to its original spot.”

Also, if a ball is “placed outside of the scorecard length by mistake, it can be corrected without penalty before the next stroke is made.” 

Of course, preferred lies are only in effect when wet conditions negatively impact the course and generate mud. 

When that occurs, players typically don’t mind lift, clean and place, but the club-length rule has been labeled as controversial. 

“I think it’s maybe another discussion whether we are going to have a club length or a scorecard,” Viktor Hovland said on Friday of the 2025 Ryder Cup, when preferred lies were in effect. “Usually, in Europe, we have a scorecard. In the U.S. we have a club length. I think that can maybe influence how we play a little too much, especially around the greens and then in terms of angles and stuff.”

Perhaps the PGA Tour heard Hovland’s criticism. 

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