Golf is a sport governed by a complex web of rules, and as the game continues to evolve, both in terms of technology and competitive structure, those rules are increasingly being tested, challenged, and, at times, redefined. And with rules comes controversy as players, officials, and fans alike debate what’s fair, what’s outdated, and what needs to change to keep pace with the modern game.
The PGA Tour is no stranger to controversy, but this year has proven to be a particularly turbulent one when it comes to rules and their enforcement. While the pace of play debate plagued the tour the most this year, a few other major rules-related issues ignited intense discussion among players and analysts. Let’s dive into the top three rules’ controversies that have defined the PGA Tour this season.
1. Elimination of the Starting Strokes Format at the Tour Championship
Earlier this year, in May, the PGA Tour shocked the golf world when it announced the elimination of the “starting strokes” format at the season-ending Tour Championship. The event, which is played at East Lake every year, is the final of the playoffs, which decides the FedEx Cup winner of the season. While the first two events of the playoffs are played in a regular playoff format, the tour championship would give an advantage to the season’s points leader. The season-long leader would be placed at 10-under par, two shots ahead of the player in second place, and so on.
Scottie Scheffler leads the standings this season with 5456 points, but he will no longer have the advantage of the “starting strokes.” The approach that has been in place since 2019 has been scrapped after critics argued that it was confusing and unfair. “We want the Tour Championship to be the hardest tournament to qualify for and the FedEx Cup trophy to be the most difficult to win,” Scheffler himself declared. The event, which will see the winner walk away with a $10 million bonus besides the purse, will now be played as a 72-hole stroke-play event instead of the match-play format. While the change in format will intensify the competition, it also minimizes the importance of consistency throughout the season, as the season-long leader could now lose the entire title to someone else.
2. “Mud Ball” Controversy at the PGA Championship
At the 2025 PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler went on a rant about something that drove him up the wall during the opening round. “You spend your whole life trying to learn how to control a golf ball, and due to a rules decision, all of a sudden you have absolutely no control over where that golf ball goes,” Scheffler said in the post-round press conference after carding 2-under on the first day at Quail Hollow. But he believed he could have finished better had it not been for the “mud balls” he and Xander Schauffele faced on the 16th hole, where they both scored double-bogeys.
“I don’t make the rules, I just got to deal with the consequences of those rules.”
Mud balls are a hot topic at Quail Hollow. Scottie Scheffler summed up why they’re so frustrating for players. pic.twitter.com/UfhnJxgCBx
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) May 15, 2025
Mud balls often arise when clumps of mud stick to the ball due to wet fairways, which in turn affects ball flight and spin. Usually, players are allowed the rule of preferred lies, where they can lift, clean, and replace the ball. But in major championships, the rule is that the ball should never be played “up,” as it takes away the purity of the game. But with Scheffler voicing out the concern, it sparked debate over when and how tournament officials should intervene to protect the integrity of the game. Many fans and critics demanded a more flexible system on the tour, especially during unplayable conditions.
3. Equipment Legality — Non-Conforming Drivers
Perhaps the most unexpected controversy of the year involved equipment legality, with a particular focus on non-conforming drivers, and it didn’t spare even the elite. At the PGA Championship in May, during a random equipment testing, Rory McIlroy‘s driver failed the conformity test. In every event on the PGA Tour, players are selected at random to test some of their clubs, specifically the driver. This is done because the repeated use of the clubs wears down the clubface, which makes it more springy and can add distance to tee-shots. While it’s difficult for players to determine this on their own, the rule demands that players are not allowed to use clubs that fail the conformity test.
While the results of the test are kept confidential, only Rory McIlroy’s results were leaked during the major, which became the biggest talking point this season. Eventually, it came to light that even the World No.1, Scottie Scheffler, failed the test, and there were eight other players who had failed the test too. Yet, only the biggest names came to light, with McIlroy taking most of the heat, and this called for fairness and tightening of the regulations. Some fans questioned whether results should be retroactively adjusted, while others criticized the randomness of testing. The PGA Tour and USGA are now under pressure to adopt more transparent and consistent testing practices, and perhaps even conduct tests before competition rounds begin.
This year’s PGA Tour season has been a stark reminder that in a sport so dependent on nuance and precision, the rules must evolve as quickly as the game does. From format changes and course conditions to equipment enforcement, this season has seen the Tour navigate growing pains in a new era of amplified competition and scrutiny. Whether these controversies lead to lasting reforms or remain isolated flare-ups will depend largely on how governing bodies respond in the future.
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