Governing Bodies Update Controversial Model Local Rule Following Notable Incidents

A controversial Model Local Rule has been updated by governing bodies the USGA and The R&A following a number of notable incidents in recent years.

Model Local Rule G-6 prevents the use of motorized transportation during a round; however, that has caused issues in the past, perhaps most notably at the 2025 Mid-Amateur.

At the Troon Country Club in Arizona, Paul Mitzel was playing his Round of 64 match when he breached the rule in extra holes against Ryan O'Rear.

It meant Mitzel found himself in the extraordinary position of losing the match in 20 holes, despite neither player taking a shot after the 19th.

His challenge ended when his caddie accepted a cart ride from the first green to the second tee in extra holes, a decision that proved decisive thanks to the rule, which stated: “During a round, a player or caddie must not ride on any form of motorized transportation except as authorized or later approved by the committee.”

The rules official called a penalty, which meant Mitzel lost the next hole – and the chance to progress in his third straight US Mid-Am appearance.

Afterwards, Mitzel explained to the Golf Channel that players were being shuttled between the 14th and 15th holes of the desert layout, so there was nothing unusual about players riding on a cart during competitive action.

However, Model Local Rule G-6 didn’t cover any other route beyond those two holes, meaning Mitzel lost in the most bizarre circumstances to O’Rear, whose request to have the ruling vetoed was denied.

A similar incident saw Akshay Bhatia lose a hole at the 2018 US Amateur when his caddie accepted a lift in a cart after using the bathroom, while at the 2023 Lecom Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour, three players were penalized for taking cart rides from a tournament volunteer.

Now, the rule makes it clearer that, should a similar incident occur in the future, committees can approve a ride afterwards when a player believed it was permitted.

The new wording reads: “A committee can also later approve a ride that was accepted by a player under the mistaken belief that it was allowed, such as when it was reasonable for the player to believe that the person who offered the ride was authorized to do so as part of the competition.”

The change to Model Local Rule G-6 isn’t the only tweak introduced by the USGA and The R&A in January 2026, with a series of updates concerning areas including internal out of bounds and embedded ball relief also coming into effect.

Another local rule change, this time from the PGA Tour, received praise from Michael Kim earlier in the month.

The Preferred Lies modification means players will now move their ball within a scorecard length instead of a club length, which the PGA Tour believes “will provide fairer outcomes during competition."

Kim agrees, writing on X: “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."