Written by: Darin Green, Senior Director of Rules & Competitions
Happy New Year!
The last five years of learning the new modernized Rules of Golf released in 2019, and the tweaks over the last few years, have been a challenge for all golfers. Fortunately for all of us, there are very few changes to the Rules of Golf for 2025. Let’s take a quick look at the new rules that go in effect in January 1, 2025.
Model Local Rule G-9 – Broken or Significantly Damaged Club – This Local Rule is normally only used at high levels of competition; however, there was a change to the optional Local Rule that was probably partially prompted by a situation with Matt Fitzpatrick at the BMW Championship. This Local Rule was in effect, and during the round Matt Fitzpatrick’s driver developed a small crack on the face. Last year, this Local Rule did not allow Fitzpatrick to replace his driver because a hairline crack was not considered significant. Starting in 2025, a crack is considered significant damage and the club could be replaced. Additionally, the damaged club must be replaced by the same type of club (driver for a driver, 7 iron for a 7 iron, etc.).
Self-Standing Putters (Rule 10.2b(3)) - A player is no longer allowed to use the club in its self-standing position to show the line of play or to help with alignment or taking a stance. Basically, a self-standing putter is allowed, but the player must not use the self-standing aspect of the club to help them.
When a Scorecard is Returned – The Committee is a person or group of people in charge of a course or a competition. The Committee can now establish additional rules that define when a scorecard is returned. For example, the Committee could state that once a player returns their signed scorecard and exits the scoring area, the player could have a set time to return to the scoring area and fix any mistakes on their scorecard. The PGA Tour allows a player to return to the scoring area to fix a wrong scorecard up to 15 minutes from when the player exited the scoring area. This new optional rule most likely stemmed from the incident at the Genesis Invitational where Jordan Spieth was disqualified after returning a scorecard with a score on the 10th hole lower than he actually made.
Would you like to learn more on the Rules of Golf? If so, sign up for an FSGA Rules of Golf Workshop.
Have a great 2025!
