Elliot Saltman facing European Tour playing ban after Moscow disqualification

The European Tour was last night preparing a statement to be released today on the 28-year-old's hearing held in Abu Dhabi yesterday and it is understood a short suspension is the punishment set to be handed out.

Saltman himself has already been made aware of the decision after the long-awaited investigation into his disqualification from the second-tier event last September.

Flown to the Middle East at the expense of the Tour along with his two accusers, Englishmen Stuart Davis and Marcus Higley, the Scot appeared before an eight-strong committee in the United Arab Emirates capital yesterday.

It included Thomas Bjorn, the chairman of the tournament players' committee, as well as Challenge Tour director of operations David Garland, chief referee Andy McFee and Challenge Tour director Alain de Soultrait.

After hearing from all the players involved, they drafted a recommendation that was put to the 15-man tournament players' committee and it is believed its members have decided on a three-month ban.

If so, Saltman, who won his card for the main circuit just over a month ago, will be the first player to be prevented from playing on the European Tour since Johan Tumba, a Swede, who was banned for ten years in 1992 after altering his scorecard at the Tour's Qualifying School.

Further back, Dunbar's David Robertson, a former Scottish Boys' champion, was hit with a bigger punishment after he was disqualified during final qualifying for the 1985 Open Championship at Deal in Kent, where his playing partners summoned an official in the middle of a round.

He was fined 20,000, though that was never called in, and banned for 20 years from playing as a professional by the European Tour.

Saltman has had the dark cloud hanging over his head since Davis and Higley, his playing partners in the opening round of the Russian event, accused him of marking his ball incorrectly, leading to the player's disqualification.

"They said I had marked the ball at the eight o'clock position and replaced it at six o'clock. I have always marked the ball at six o'clock and replaced it correctly," said Saltman after winning his card at the Qualifying School in Spain in early December.

"I accepted what was said at the time because I was in shock at the time and I didn't want to be labelled a cheat. I am sorry now that I didn't stand up for myself."

Since the disqualification, a frenzy of activity on the internet has kept the controversy bubbling, much to Saltman's disgust as he launched a bid to clear his name.

"I've seen the stuff on the internet and I'm disgusted to be honest," admitted the Archerfield Links player.

"It affects not only me but my family. I don't want to be labelled as a cheat. Nobody wants that reputation."If he has indeed now been handed a ban, it is believed he will have 28 days to appeal against the decision.