TIGER, WESTWOOD AND KAYMER IN SAME THREE-BALL IN DUBAI

Tiger Woods will discover just how far his game has slipped when he joins Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer in a mouth-watering matching of golf's top-ranked three players in the Dubai Desert Classic starting on Thursday.
Woods was overtaken by England's Westwood at the end of last year and then the mercurial 26-year-old German Kaymer, the US PGA champion, in January at the summit of golf's world rankings.
The American's swing as well as his private life fell apart last year following allegations of multiple infidelities which cost him his marriage and a chunk of the 2010 season.
Dubai marks Woods' second tournament of the year and his suspect technique will be right back under the microscope after he finished 44th last week in the Farmers Insurance Open after closing rounds of 74 and 75.
Westwood, for one, cannot wait for the chance to go head to head against a man who had dominated the sport virtually unchallenged since the late 1990s until his fall from grace last year, picking up 14 Majors along the way.
Woods has won the Desert Classic twice, in 2006 and 2008.
It is the first time in 17 years that the world's top three ranked golfers have competed in a regular European Tour tournament.
"It's a fantastic draw for the tournament and for the people watching," Westwood told reporters as he looked forward to Thursday's mid-day three-ball.
"That's what people like to see. Certainly at other events where you draw the three main champions together - in the US PGA Championship - that's always exciting."
Mohamed Juma Buamain, vice-chairman and CEO of Golf in Dubai, said ticket sales were up 30 percent compared to last year when Woods elected not to compete in Dubai following the turmoil that overtook his private life.
Westwood leapfrogged past the 35-year-old American to World No. 1 last October and it is the first occasion that he has since played in the same event as Kaymer and Woods, let alone the same three-ball.
"Having a player like Tiger who has dominated the World rankings over the last 15 years and also the No 1 and No 2, and playing in the same three-ball is great for the European Tour," said Westwood.
The Worksop man himself is not exactly in the best of fettle having missed his first halfway cut in over a year last week in the Qatar Masters.
The trio have been joined in Dubai this week by Woods' long-time close friend and fellow US Masters and Open winner, Mark O'Meara.
O'Meara is convinced that Woods can end his 14-month title drought and also set about matching Jack Nicklaus' all-time record of 18 Majors.
"Knowing Tiger as well as I do, I know his heart is still set on winning Major championships," O'Meara, who now plays on the 50+ seniors tour, told reporters.
"Even last year he hadn't played that much, and also not being on his best form, he played well at Augusta.
"So I don't see it unrealistic for him to win two to three tournaments this year and also to win a Major."
O'Meara believes Woods can also regain the No. 1 position he held for a record 281 weeks.
"There was twice before when Tiger dropped down from No. 1 when David Duval and Vijay Singh went by him," said O'Meara.
"So he does like being No 1. He likes to be the guy at the top and he realises because of his absence and the way that Tiger has played, that he is where he is. He's dealing with that.
"But I also never underestimate what Tiger is capable of doing. He may not beswinging the best. He may not be the most confident player right now.  But in saying all that, and Tiger being Tiger, he's fought back before and he will fight back again."
Reuters

EDZELL OK FOR NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE TOMORROW

This week's North-east Alliance competition is due to be held at Edzell Golf Club tomorrow.

By all accounts, the course is OK.

OLAZABAL GETS HIS WISH - ONLY 2 RYDER CUP PICKS FOR 2012

 NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
After consultation with European Team Ryder Cup captain José Maria Olazábal, The European Tour Tournament Committee is pleased to announce a modified qualification procedure for The 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, Chicago, Illinois, from September 28-30.

The qualification criteria, beginning at the Omega European Masters at Crans-Sur-Sierre from September 1-4, 2011, and ending at the conclusion of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012, will now see the leading five players from the European Points List joined by the leading five players from the World Points List as automatic qualifiers to the European Team.
This represents a reversal of the two lists with the European Points List counting before the World Points List.
Olazábal will then add two Captain’s Picks to complete the 12-man team that will defend The Ryder Cup against the United States at Medinah Country Club.
Olazábal said: “I am very pleased that the Tournament Committee has agreed to my request. The only reason that I asked for a change in the criteria is because I believe that it will give me the strongest team possible to defend The Ryder Cup.
“I looked over the last few qualification processes, going back to 2004, and was satisfied that my proposal would give me the strongest team on paper. We are going to have a very strong team but I just felt that this would give the team the best chance to keep The Ryder Cup and that is what we all want.
“At the end of the day, it is the players who are the stars and it is the players who hit the shots and win the points to win The Ryder Cup. I would like to thank the committee for their support and I hope that this is the first step to us retaining The Ryder Cup in 2012.”
Qualification for The 2012 European Ryder Cup Team will be selected employing the following criteria:
(a) The leading five players on The Ryder Cup European Points List (1) at the conclusion of the 2012 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. In the event of a tie (equal number of points accumulated), placings will be decided by the player with the higher ranking on The 2012 Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
(b) The leading five players, not otherwise qualified (having selected the five players from The Ryder Cup European Points List) from The Ryder Cup World Points List (2) at the conclusion of the 2012 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. In the event of a tie (equal number of points accumulated), placings will be decided by the player with the higher ranking on the Official World Golf Ranking.
(c) The Captain, José Maria Olazábal, will choose the remaining two players following the conclusion of the 2012 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

(1) The Ryder Cup European Points List will comprise points (1 point = 1 Euro) earned by a European Tour Member from all officially sanctioned European Tour tournaments on The European Tour Race to Dubai from September 1, 2011 until the conclusion of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012.
(2) The Ryder Cup World Points List will comprise World Ranking Points won by a European Tour Member from each tournament in which he participates from September 1, 2011 until the conclusion of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012. World Ranking Points are allocated to all officially sanctioned tournaments (on any Federated Tour) by the Official World Golf Ranking and are allocated according to the Event Rating of the tournament.

DAVID LAW LEADS WITH A 64 IN SOUTH AFRICAN STROKE-PLAY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

David Law has made a sensational start to the South African international men's amateur championship at Mount Edgecombe.

The 19-year-old Hazlehead player leads the field of 144 with an eight-under-par round of 64 which included a hole in one at the short third hole, another eagle at the long 14th and birdies at the fourth, long eighth, long 12th, 16th and 17th in halves of 33 (three under par) and 31 (five under).

Amazingly in such a low round, he was one over par before he had his hole in one, having bogeyed the second which turned out to be his only slip of arguably his finest round since he won both the Scottish boys' match-play title and the Scottish men's match-play championship in the same season, 2009.

A knuckle injury on his right hand late in 2009, when he was the victim of an unprovoked late-night assault in an Aberdeen city centre street,  put him out of the game for more than three months and cast a shadow over his form in 2010 but he could be back at his best now - and ready to make a run at gaining selection for the Walker Cup match in his home town, Aberdeen, in September.
"It was a real stop-start season for me last year so it’s great to be playing like this again," said David who holed his tee shot with a seven-iron at the third hole (160 yds).
“It was brilliant,” Law enthused. “I hit a seven-iron perfectly. What a thrill! I haven’t had a hole-in-one since I was 12.”

French international Alexandre Levy is Law's closest rival at the end of the first day of the 72-hole event. He had a 65.

All in all, it was a good day for the touring Scots who are in South Africa for an eight-week stay.
Youngster Scott Gibson had a 69 and four players - national champion Michael Stewart, Kris Nicol, Greg Paterson and Philip McLean - all returned one-under--par 71s.
James White had a 72, Ross Kellett a 73, Paul Shields a 74 and Scottish Alliance champion Jordan Findlay a 75, in which he had two late double-bogey 6s.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
64 David Law (Scotland) 33-31.
65 Alexandre Levy (France) 33-32.
67 Ruan de Smith (S Africa) 32-35, Danie Van Tonder (S Africa) 31-36.
Other Scots' scores:
69 Scott Gibson 33-36.
71 Kris Nicol 34-37, Greg Pate4rson 35-36, Philip McLean 36-35, Michael Stewart 35-36.
72 James White 38-34.
73 Ross Kellett 37-37.
74 Paul Shields 37-37.
75 Jordan Findlay 35-40.

TO READ ALL THE SCORES ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE

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JOHN GALLAGHER LYING JOINT SECOND IN Hi5 PRO TOUR EVENT

FROM THE SPANISH Hi5 PRO TOUR WEBSITE(with some additional words by Colin Farquharson: Colin@scottishgolfview.com)

James Maw of England set the pace for the 116 player field with a solid 65 today at El Valle. Maw’s round featured seven birdies and only one bogey on the Jack Nicklaus signature (Par 71) course near Murcia, Spain.

Maw holds a one-shot lead over European Tour veteran Miguel Angel Martin, who shot a bogey-free round of 66, and former Scottish amateur champion John Gallagher whose five-under 66 ranks as one of his best rounds since he turned pro.

The Swanston man, pictured, birdied the long third, dropped a shot at the short sixth but birdied the long seventh to turn in one-under-par 35. He came rattling home in four-under-par 31 with birdies at the 11th, 13th, the long 16th and the 17th.

Fellow Scot Jack Doherty also covered the inward nine in 31 for a 67 and joint fourth place.
On a day of generally low scoring, Jack's younger brother, Paul, is tied for 42nd place on 72.
Ian Redford is joint 61st  with a 74
Shaun McAllister took 41 shots to come home for a 77 and a share of 83rd place.
Zack Saltman, who made the top 10 in last week's Hi5 Tour event - won by brother Lloyd - slipped back with a 79 - 41 shots to the turn- to be joint 93rd.
Hi5 Pro Tour officials had their hands full today with the large field and managed to get all the players in today except for the last three off the tee.
Round 2 will begin tomorrow morning at 8:10. At the end of the day, the field will be cut to the top 40 professionals and ties for Thursday's the final round.
FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
65 James Maw (England).
66 John Gallagher (Scotland) 35-31, Miguel Angel Martin (Spain).
67 Jack Doherty (Scotland) 36-31, Mark Suursalu (Finland), David Palm (Sweden), Jonathan Caldwell (Ireland).

Other Scottish scores:

72 Paul Doherty 39-33 (T42).

74 Ian Redford 40-34 (T61).

77 Shaun McAllister 36-41 (T83).

79 Zack Saltman 41-38 (T93).

READ ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

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ENGLAND LEAD 6-3 IN GOLFING ASHES IN AUSTRALIA

FROM THE GOLF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE
The touring English Squad take a 6-3 match lead into Wednesday's second and final day of "The Ashes" golf match at Elanora Country Club on Sydney's northern beaches.
In perfect conditions, England took a 3-0 lead after the morning foursomes.
Stiggy Hodgson and Andrew Sullivan, who both played in the recent Master of the Amateurs and NSW Amateur, defeated NSW pair Brett Drewitt and Matt Stieger by one hole.
Neil Raymond and David Coupland defeated Queensland's Tim Hart and Tasmanian Kalem Richardson 3 and 1.
Rory Bourke and Jake Higginbottom lost 3 and 1 to England's Jack Senior and Darren Wright.
In the afternoon singles, the Australians fought back to share the honours 3-3.
Matt Stieger defeated England's in-form Andrew Sullivan by one hole while Brett Drewitt defeated England's Darren Wright 3 and 2.
Jake Higginbottom was the other winner for Australia with a one-hole victory over Ben Loughrey.
Jack Senior, Neil Raymond and Stiggy Hodson all recorded victories for the England side who have had a very successful tour Down Under.
FIRST DAY RESULTSENGLAND lead AUSTRALIA 6-3
Foursomes (0-3)
Australian names first
Drewitt/Stieger lost to Hodgson/Sullivan 1  hole.
Hart/Richardson lost to Coupland/Raymond 3 and 1
Bourke/Higginbottom lost to Senior/Wright 3 and 2


Singles (3-3)
Steiger bt Sullivan 1 hole.
Hart lost to Senior 3 and 2.
Drewitt bt Wright 3 and 2
Bourke lost to Raymond 3 and 2.
Higginbottom bt Loughrey 1 hole.
Richardson lost to Hodgson 3 and 2


Progressive score
England leads Australia: 6-3

LEE WESTWOOD MADE LIFE MEMBER OF EUROPEAN TOUR

NEWS RELESE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR

Lee Westwood, only the second English golfer after Sir Nick Faldo to scale the summit of the professional game as World No 1, has been awarded Honorary Life Membership of The European Tour.

The 37 year old from Worksop, who deposed Tiger Woods at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking on October 31 last year, was presented with a silver Honorary Life Membership card and money clip by George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, during the build up to this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club.
Westwood turned professional in 1993 and has been a loyal and committed supporter of The European Tour since his debut season in 1994, when he finished 43rd in the Order of Merit. Now in his 18th year on his home Tour and making his 388th start in Dubai this week, Westwood remains one of Europe’s most consistently brilliant and popular performers wherever he tees up.
He has won 20 times on The European Tour, the last victory being his superb success in the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, which secured The 2009 Race to Dubai title to add to his Order of Merit win in 2000.
As well as those two triumphs in the season-long competitions, Westwood has been runner-up once and third on four occasions.
He is third in the all-time Career Money List behind Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie with tournament winnings of €23,911,692, and is only the 13th player to reach the pinnacle of World No 1 in the 25 years of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Since making his Ryder Cup debut at Valderrama in 1997, Westwood has become a talisman for Europe in the biennial contest against the United States, winning 19 points during the seven matches in which he has played.
Westwood said: “I have always loved The European Tour, from the moment I first teed up in Madeira to this day, standing here in Dubai receiving this award. I have had a few ups and downs in that time but I have always loved The Tour and the people surrounding it. It has played a huge part in my life and I will cherish this honour for the rest of my life.”

O’Grady commented: “It is a great privilege to honour Lee in this very special way with the highest award we as a Tour can give him. He is a devoted family man but also devoted to the Tour on which he cut his teeth in professional golf. He has shown unswerving loyalty to The European Tour for the best part of 20 years and is fully deserving of being recognised with Honorary Life Membership.

“For the past 15 weeks Lee has sat on top of the world, in a golfing sense, and the fact that only 12 other players have claimed the position of No 1 over a 25-year period speaks volumes for the enormity of his achievement. He has done this through the quality of his golf and sheer force of personality and is undoubtedly one of our greatest champions.”

STANFORD COLLAPSE RECEIVER SUES USPGA FOR $13 MILLION

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By PAUL KELSO, Chief Sports Reporter
Receivers for Sir Allen Stanford's collapsed $7bn financial empire have widened their pursuit of sporting bodies, issuing a $13m writ against the US PGA Tour.
Last week the Telegraph disclosed that the receiver was considering legal action against the ECB (English Cricket Board) to recover $3.5m in "ill-gotten gains" received from its Twenty20 deal with Stanford as part of a strategy of pursuing recipients of sponsorship income from the Texan financier.
The receiver has aready issued writs against Vijay Singh's former agent IMG worldwide, golfer David Toms and the Miami Heat NBA franchise
Ralph Janvey, the Stanford receiver, is claiming money paid to sporting bodies was "fraudulently transferred" from the proceeds of an illegal investment scheme, and the sports companies did not provide "good value" for the payments, and cannot demonstrate they had received the money "in good faith."
Stanford is currently in custody awaiting trial in the United States, charged with running an alleged $7 billion "Ponzi" scheme based on the sale of certificates of deposit in his Antiguan-based Stanford International Bank. He denies the charges.
“(The US) PGA (Tour) did not provide reasonably equivalent value for the transfers of certificates of deposit proceeds to it and cannot establish that it is a good faith transferee,” Janvey said yesterday in a federal court in Dallas.
The ECB struck a $100 million sponsorship deal with Stanford in in 2008 for a series of Twenty20 matches against his Superstars XI. ECB officials are understood to be confident that they are able to defend any action action brought by the receiver via the American courts.
“We will not have to repay a single penny of this money,” a senior ECB source told the Telegraph. “The ECB has acted properly throughout its dealing with Stanford and the US courts have no jurisdiction here. It is a joke.”

OLD COURSE ADVANCE BOOKING CHANGE FROM NEXT JANUARY

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST

The daily ballot for the world-renowned Old Course is to change from January next year, moving to a 48 hours ahead system of entering for the first time in its history.

For many years golfers have entered the ballot one day ahead of when they wish to play the famous Links but from Saturday, January 7, 2012 golfers will enter TWO days before.

The change is being made by St Andrews Links Trust, which manages the seven public courses at the Home of Golf, following an extensive consultation exercise with local golfers, local golf clubs, businesses, golf organisations, hoteliers, travel operators and tourism bodies.
The Old Course hosted the Open Championship for the 28th time last July, when Louis Oosthuizen lifted the Claret Jug, and takes more than 40,000 rounds of golf a year in the six days a week it is open for play. The ballot is designed to give golfers who have been unable to book in advance the chance to play when they are in St Andrews.
It is hoped the change to 48 hours ahead will benefit both local and visiting golfers by enabling them to plan their golf more effectively if they know further in advance when they will be playing the Old Course. It will dovetail with the one-day ahead booking system on the Jubilee, Eden and Strathtyrum courses and will enable golfers who have been unsuccessful in the ballot to book an alternative course for the day they want to play.
The earlier draw will make it easier for visiting golfers to plan accommodation and travel arrangements and will encourage them to stay longer in St Andrews and play more golf in and around the town.
Euan Loudon, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said, “This is an historic moment of change and one which has been carefully considered by Trustees and the Links Management Committee. The one-day ahead ballot has been in place for a long time but we believe it is now time to change.
“We hope the 48 hour ahead system will help local golfers plan their golf and will encourage visiting golfers to stay longer in St Andrews and play more golf while they are here. The feedback we have received from many travel operators and hotel and guest house owners suggests it will make it easier for them to plan their clients’ golf itineraries.”

The 48 hour ahead ballot will be drawn for the first time on Saturday, January, 7, 2012 for play on Monday, January 9, 2012. To enter the ballot requires at least two golfers and they will have to enter their names, home clubs and handicaps by 2pm.

The ballot will take place every day of the week with the exception of Friday as there is no play on the Old Course on Sundays. The entries can be made by phone on 01334 466666 or in person at any of the three clubhouses at the Links. The Trust will continue to communicate the change to golfers throughout the rest of this year, ahead of the changeover in January 2012.

THIS WEEK'S TOP 50 WORLD PRO RANKINGS

1 Lee Westwood, Eng 8.41
2 Martin Kaymer, Ger 7.90
3 Tiger Woods, USA 6.78 
4 Phil Mickelson, USA 6.39
5 Graeme McDowell, NIr 6.39 
6 Paul Casey, Eng 6.13 
7 Rory McIlroy, NIr 5.85 
8 Steve Stricker, USA 5.78
9 Luke Donald, Eng 5.45
10 Jim Furyk, USA 5.42 
11 Ernie Els, Zaf 5.15
12 Ian Poulter, Eng 4.90
13 Matt Kuchar, USA 4.79
14 Dustin Johnson, USA 4.65
15 Robert Karlsson, Swe 4.49
16 Retief Goosen, SAf 4.48
17 Francesco Molinari, Ita 4.36
18 Bubba Watson, USA 4.13
19 Louis Oosthuizen, SAf 3.91
20 Edoardo Molinari, Ita 3.79
21 Hunter Mahan, USA 3.79
22 Tim Clark, SAf 3.73
23 Miguel A Jimenez, Spa 3.73
24 Charl Schwartzel, SAf 3.61
25 Adam Scott, Aus 3.44
26 Geoff Ogilvy, Aus 3.37
27 Robert Allenby, Aus 3.35
28 Rickie Fowler, USA 3.30
29 Zach Johnson, USA 3.29
30 Kim Kyung-Tae, SKor 3.28
31 Justin Rose, Eng 3.24
32 Anthony Kim, USA 3.20
33 Padraig Harrington, Ire 3.20
34 Nick Watney, USA 3.13
35 Peter Hanson, Swe 3.07
36 Alvaro Quiros, Spa 3.03
37 Ross Fisher, Eng 3.00
38 Ben Crane, USA 2.95
39 Ryo Ishikawa, Jpn 2.95
40 Jason Day, Aus 2.91
41 Martin Laird, Sco 2.77
42 Yuta Ikeda, Jpn 2.73
43 Camilo Villegas, Col 2.70 
44 Y.E. Yang, SKor 2.64
45 Bo Van Pelt, USA 2.62
46 Bill Haas, USA 2.58
47 Sean O'Hair, USA 2.52
48 Ryan Moore, USA 2.48
49 K J Choi, SKor 2.46
50 Hiroyuki Fujita, Jpn 2.44

NEW ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST CHIEF WAS ASSISTANT PRO

FROM THE DUNDEE COURIER WEBSITE
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/
By CHERYL PEEBLES
Organising a military tattoo with pipers and drummers from around the globe and looking after the world's most famous golf course might seem like two very different jobs.
But for the new boss of St Andrews Links Trust, there are not a million miles between his old role as chief executive and producer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the one he stepped into a month ago.
As new chief executive of the trust, Euan Loudon has gone from being in charge of a musical extravaganza which attracts an audience of over 200,000 each year to taking responsibility for St Andrews' seven links courses, including the Old Course which is considered a Mecca for golf fans.
He told The Courier, "There are a lot of parallels. You need to put on a good show and you need to sell lots of tickets and, in a funny way, there is a parallel between something that is pure entertainment in one of the most famous locations in Edinburgh and something that is not about entertainment per se but about delivering a sporting experience at another of the most famous places in Scotland."
Mr Loudon, who lives near Gateside, comes from a military background. He joined the army in 1974 and quickly rose through the ranks. In his final appointment, as major general, he was general officer commanding 2nd Division and governor of Edinburgh Castle.
He was awarded the OBE for operational service in the Gulf as the chief of staff of the Desert Rats and the CBE for operational service in Northern Ireland.
Mr Loudon also has golf running through his veins, having begun playing at the age of seven, learning with hickory shafts, and working as an assistant professional before enlisting.
His first experience of the Old Course was as a 16-year-old in the early 1970s.
"I played two rounds. In my first round I came back with a pretty respectable number and avoided the bunkers. In the afternoon, when I knew where those bunkers were, I came in with a dreadful score and had been in about 20 bunkers. But it was a great day.
"If you had asked that 16-year-old who was struggling with bunkers whether he would be back in an executive role, he would have said you were off your head."
With the glory of the 150th anniversary Open Championship just months behind it, the links trust, under Mr Loudon's leadership, is anticipating a bumper year ahead.
What Mr Loudon described as the "magnetism" of St Andrews, coupled with its quality, heritage and unique place in the story of golf, will always pull golfers from around the world.
"What we want is for people, whether they are a local golfer or a visiting golfer, to walk home, drive home or fly home and say 'wow, that was great.'"

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WESTWOOD, KAYMER JOIN DEBATE OVER ELLIOT SALTMAN

FROM THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
http://sport.scotsman.com/golf/
By Martin Dempster
Elliot Saltman has admitted he could be ready to accept his punishment after being found guilty of cheating but last night the Scot found himself pilloried by two of the game's biggest names.
World No 1 Lee Westwood and second-ranked Martin Kaymer both weighed into the debate that has been raging over Saltman's three-month ban as the 28-year-old broke his silence three weeks after the punishment was handed out by the European Tour.
Westwood claimed the ban should have been worldwide after seeing Saltman, who has until next Tuesday to lodge an appeal, play in a third-tier event in Spain last week.
And Kaymer said he would be unable to live with himself if he was in the same position as Saltman, who was found guilty of "a serious breach of the rules" during a Challenge Tour event in Russia last September.
Saltman, who won his European Tour card while waiting for a disciplinary hearing, is taking advice from his lawyers, having met with them on a number of occasions since becoming only the third professional to be banned for cheating on the European circuit.
He was accused by his two playing partners, English duo Stuart Davis and Marcus Higley, of replacing his ball incorrectly on the greens at least five times in one round during the event in Moscow.
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