What are preferred lies? Exploring the rule in effect at the 2025 Houston Open

Preferred lies are reportedly in effect at the 2025 Texas Children's Houston Open. The first round has only just begun, but one of golf's most interesting rules has already come into play at the venue.

Golf tends to have some of the most unique rules, and some only apply in certain instances. Whereas other sports have set rules that affect every play, down, etc., golf has some rules, like this one, that only matters when they're put in effect or acted upon. Here's what this particular rule means.

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Explaining preferred lies in golf

Preferred lies typically come into play when the conditions are not ideal or the course is not in perfect shape due to maintenance. This doesn't apply much to the Tour, but preferred lies are common in winter golf.

The USGA defines the situations that call for preferred lies as:

"Adverse conditions such as heavy snows, spring thaws, prolonged rains or extreme heat."

That is the case for the Houston Open's opening round, which is why the PGA Tour announced that the lie rule is in effect. The PGA Tour's official X handle tweeted the weather forecast for the first round of the tournament and decided to implement this rule due to the torrid climate that lies in store.

When the rule is active, players have the opportunity to clean their ball before a shot. If the lie is muddy, deep in grass, or a similar situation, golfers can pick it up, clean it, and place it back. Doing so otherwise would normally result in a penalty.

The USGA's local model rule E3 elaborates on this topic and states:

“When any part of a player’s ball touches part of the general area cut to fairway height or less [or identify a specific area, such as on the fairway of the 6th hole], the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area."

Scottie Scheffler moves his ball with the preferred lies rule for his second shot on the par 5, ninth hole during the rain-delayed completion of the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 11, 2022 - Source: Getty

Golfers must place the ball back within six inches of a club length from where they originally landed, which is called the reference point by the USGA. The catch is that they cannot move the ball closer. This is defined as one of the Limits on Location of Relief Area. They can avoid the mud by moving a few inches back but can't avoid it by moving closer to the hole.

The rules committees and playing partners help to enforce this rule when it's in effect. For example, if Scottie Scheffler plays a ball that lands in a bad, muddy spot on the course, he is allowed to mark the spot, pick the ball up, clean it off, and place it back not closer but elsewhere (within a small vicinity) and play his next shot.

It doesn't come into effect very often because golf courses are maintained well, but they can't control the weather. Since golf is mostly an outdoor sport, this can be done to alleviate some of the unexpected problems PGA Tour players might have due to adverse weather conditions.