Preferred lies (also known as “lift, clean, and place”): A local, temporary rule that allows balls on the fairways or other closely mown areas to be lifted, cleaned and placed in a pre-determined distance from the original position, usually 6-inches or one golf club length. The rule can temporarily override Rule 9.4b: On deliberately touching and moving the ball, a golfer can incur a two-stroke penalty. Officials implement this rule when course conditions are poor, such as after heavy rain, which makes some areas muddy or unplayable.

To lift, clean, and place; or not—that’s the burning question for the PGA Tour. While the rule is activated to allow fair play or help protect some or all fairways, it is not exactly liked by the fans. In mid-February, during the Genesis Invitational, officials permitted ‘preferred lies’ due to the soggy conditions at Torrey Pines. However, the general response from the followers was, “So Lift, Clean & Cheat?!?! Got it!”

For them, it threatens the sport’s integrity. But it happened again in the PGA Championship. Then again at the Memorial. Now, we’re back to the same debate at the RBC Heritage, thanks to the uncertain weather conditions. The opening round of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open will face challenging weather conditions:

The result? Preferred lies for the PGA Tour pros.

In their latest update about the $9.5M RBC Canadian Open’s weather conditions during the first round, the PGA Tour announced, “Thursday weather forecast for the RBC Canadian Open. Preferred lies with be played in the first round.” Interestingly, the Tour did not allow a preferred lie during the soggy Sunday round at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open. However, at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, the Tour allowed it after the wet conditions from 1.5 inches of rain that fell overnight impacted the Glen Abbey Golf Club event. To accommodate the soggy course, officials allowed players to use preferred lies in the fairways.

This controversy stems from Jay Monahan’s statement at the 2022 Travelers Championship, where he said they “welcome good, healthy competition,” but deemed the LIV Saudi Golf League as not fitting that description. The validity of allowing golfers leeway in an outside sport depends on who you ask.

Fans have expressed their discontent, with one stating, “Nothing is sacred anymore,” regarding the Tour’s decision to allow preferred lies during the 2025 Zurich Classic. Aside from the Zurich Classic and the Genesis Invitational, the PGA Tour also introduced preferred lies at the 2025 Houston Open and during the first round of the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson. However, the fans’ irritation also stems from the Tour’s inconsistency in implementing this particular ruling at its events.

That one time the PGA Tour introduced preferred lie in perfect conditions

At the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the PGA Tour implemented lift, clean, and place rules on a sunny Thursday, despite no rain in the immediate forecast. This decision surprised many, as the day was described as “picture perfect” by broadcaster Trey Wingo. The Tour’s ruling was based on anticipated heavy rain for Friday, which would affect play on both the South and North courses being used for the tournament. The notice clearly stated that preferred lies were in effect to prepare for the expected challenging conditions.

This proactive approach was unusual, as lift, clean, and place rules are typically enacted only after heavy rain has already impacted the course. However, the rule does state that it can be implemented in case of forecasts as well. But the underlying condition is to remove it as soon as the impact becomes negligible. So, the decision that came after a week of unpredictable weather in San Diego, including a course shutdown on Monday due to high winds, shouldn’t be as surprising.

Under these rules, players are allowed to lift their golf balls from areas cut to fairway height or less, clean them, and then place them back within a specified distance. This ruling aimed to ensure fair play and maintain the quality of the tournament as conditions were expected to worsen. Despite this, fans couldn’t help but be baffled at its implementation during a perfect sunny day. Undoubtedly, the PGA Tour has been pretty inconsistent in its implementation of this particular controversial ruling.