MONTY LIFTS LID: SOME WANTED LONGER BAN ON ELLIOT SALTMAN
FROM THE HERALDSCOTLAND.COM WEBSITE
By Bernie McGuire in Abu Dhabi and Nick Rodger
Colin Montgomerie has revealed that some members of the European Tour’s 15-man tournament committee wanted to impose a longer ban on Elliot Saltman than the three-month sentence he received this week for allegations of cheating.
Saltman was found guilty of a “serious breach” of regulations by incorrectly marking his ball during the first round of last year’s Russian Challenge Cup, for which he was disqualified at the time.
He attended a long-awaited disciplinary hearing in front of the European Tour’s tournament committee in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night where he learned his fate. The ban means that the Archerfield-attached 28-year-old is the first European Tour player in 19 years to be forced to stand down from competition.
Montgomerie, who was himself accused of wrongly replacing a ball after a rain delay at the Indonesian Open in 2005 and was censured by the players’ committee over the incident, is a member of the 15-man committee.
He said: “It was a very, very difficult decision the committee faced and there were calls for a longer suspension, but I feel three months is sufficient. I wouldn’t say three months was unanimous, but it was a majority decision. It’s true that it’s going to be a stigma Elliot has to face but it’s now up to him to go out and play good golf. The right decision was made and he will learn from this. Elliot will be bigger and better for it.”
Saltman, who has 28 days to appeal, flew back from the Middle East yesterday and attended a meeting with lawyers in Edinburgh along with his manager, and father, Jack.
“We have taken legal advice and are considering an appeal,” said Jack Saltman in a brief statement.
TO READ THE FULL STORY ON THE HERALDSCOTLAND.COM WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
By Bernie McGuire in Abu Dhabi and Nick Rodger
Colin Montgomerie has revealed that some members of the European Tour’s 15-man tournament committee wanted to impose a longer ban on Elliot Saltman than the three-month sentence he received this week for allegations of cheating.
Saltman was found guilty of a “serious breach” of regulations by incorrectly marking his ball during the first round of last year’s Russian Challenge Cup, for which he was disqualified at the time.
He attended a long-awaited disciplinary hearing in front of the European Tour’s tournament committee in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night where he learned his fate. The ban means that the Archerfield-attached 28-year-old is the first European Tour player in 19 years to be forced to stand down from competition.
Montgomerie, who was himself accused of wrongly replacing a ball after a rain delay at the Indonesian Open in 2005 and was censured by the players’ committee over the incident, is a member of the 15-man committee.
He said: “It was a very, very difficult decision the committee faced and there were calls for a longer suspension, but I feel three months is sufficient. I wouldn’t say three months was unanimous, but it was a majority decision. It’s true that it’s going to be a stigma Elliot has to face but it’s now up to him to go out and play good golf. The right decision was made and he will learn from this. Elliot will be bigger and better for it.”
Saltman, who has 28 days to appeal, flew back from the Middle East yesterday and attended a meeting with lawyers in Edinburgh along with his manager, and father, Jack.
“We have taken legal advice and are considering an appeal,” said Jack Saltman in a brief statement.
TO READ THE FULL STORY ON THE HERALDSCOTLAND.COM WEBSITE
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, January 22, 2011
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