Euro Tour Suspends Golfer For Marking Ball Incorrectly

[JB]

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15100&select=41110&hj=xfs

Scottish golfer Elliot Saltman was banned for three months by the European Tour on Wednesday for marking his ball incorrectly during an event last year.

The incident happened during the first round of the Russian Challenge Cup in Moscow on Sept. 16. The 28-year-old Saltman was disqualified from the event and attended a disciplinary hearing in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

A statement released by the tour said its tournament committee unanimously found that Saltman “committed a serious breach,” suspending him from all European Tour and Challenge Tour-sanctioned tournaments with immediate effect.

Saltman is the first professional to be banned from the European Tour since 1992, when Johan Tumba of Sweden was suspended for 10 years for altering his scorecard at qualifying school. David Robertson was also banned for 20 years in 1985 for replacing his ball incorrectly in a qualifying event for the British Open.

Saltman admitted after the event in the Russian capital that he had broken the rules but has since retracted those comments, saying last month that he was “sorry now that I didn’t stand up for myself.”

He has the right to appeal against the tournament committee’s verdict within 28 days.

Saltman’s two playing partners in the event in Russia – Marcus Higley and Stuart Davis, both of England – also attended the disciplinary hearing.

Saltman gained full membership of the tour in November.

 

[coolbreeze]

Seems to me like a pretty stiff penalty for what sounds like a small infraction, but I have no idea what the details are.

 

[BDoubleG]

Whaaat? I get being banned for altering a scorecard, but 20 years for replacing a ball incorrectly?!?! 3 months for how he marked his ball?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I'd love to see pics of this "serious breach"...

 

[jefffann]

pretty stout penalties handed out there

 

[GolferGal]

Seems to me like a pretty stiff penalty for what sounds like a small infraction, but I have no idea what the details are.

I was thinking the same thing. But I don't know the rules all that well so I am sure I am missing something.

 

[RonInThornton]

How exactly do you mark your ball incorrectly?

 

[One-T]

How did he mark it incorrectly?

 

[TC]

We need more details. I can't really have an opinion until I know more.

 

[jefffann]

How exactly do you mark your ball incorrectly?

on the green........

 

[GolferGal]

I am trying to figure out how you mark your ball incorrectly as well. I would love to get more details to know what the rules are.

 

[jefffann]

if you mark your ball on the green and then when replacing it you move it closer to the hole that's a no - no

 

[clam fist]

I heard he was accused 5 times of doing this on Twitter.

 

[ripper]

Maybe this will help...

The 28-year-old Scot was disqualified from the Russian event when his playing partners Stuart Davies and Marcus Higley reported him for continually replacing his ball incorrectly. They refused to sign his card and after a meeting with referee Gary Butler, Saltman was thrown out of the tournament.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/iaincarter/2011/01/saltmans_ban_highlights_discip.html


Seems it was a continual thing and was noticed by various people... In that light, the penalty seems fair to me

 

[JB]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

 

[Hawk]

We need more details. I can't really have an opinion until I know more.

Yep. Need to know more.

 

[Hawk]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

Heh, I did.

 

[thedue]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

That was my first thought.

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab

 

[Geezer]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

Guilty. At first that's what my mind jumped to.

 

[CharlieMoy]

Is that what he actually screwed up, with a marker? Or marking his ball on the green?

I figured it was on the green.

 

[jefffann]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

that was my first impression but then I went to the link

 

[One-T]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

I didnt think that, I didnt know there were times you could not mark your ball. I was thinking after he had already teed it up

 

[Hawk]

If he was intentionally cheating, I'd say he got off pretty easy.

 

[RonInThornton]

if you mark your ball on the green and then when replacing it you move it closer to the hole that's a no - no

Ah, okay that makes sense. I was thinking the actual identifying mark on the ball itself

 

[RonInThornton]

How many people thought they meant marking it like with a sharpie? Honest question!

Sheepishly raises hand

 

[Kmac]

These are the kinds of rules that I hate about golf. Really? I think its just dumb.