Elliot Saltman's ban too lenient says Els as Scot prepares for return

Scotland's Elliot Saltman will be free to return to European Tour golf from next week after serving his three-month ban. Or, to put it another way, the 29-year-old will be free to return after serving his one-tournament ban.

Twelve events on the main circuit will have been staged during the period of Saltman's suspension, imposed in January after he was found guilty of a serious breach of the rules concerning the marking of his ball when he competed on the Challenge Tour last September. But because of his ranking position - he came 28th at the qualifying school to earn his first crack at the riches on offer - the Craigielaw golfer has actually missed only last month's Sicilian Open.

"That doesn't seem right to me - the punishment should fit the crime," said Ernie Els at The Masters when asked about the first player to be handed a European Tour ban since Swede Johan Tumba received a ten-year suspension in 1992 for altering his scorecard at the qualifying school.

"Maybe there's been some leniency shown because it was a first offence but, if you play professional golf, you should know how to mark a ball on the green. If he doesn't know or he doesn't understand, then he needs to be taught it. I think he will be in for a hard time from other players."

Not from former Ryder Cup player Thomas Levet, though. He was in Augusta working for French television and said: "To ban somebody means he has that on his back for the rest of his career. I think that is the penalty and that is enough. It does not matter if it is one, two, three tournaments of whatever, the stigma will always be there. But, if I am drawn with him, I will react the same as I would with anybody else. He's been punished enough."

Saltman's comeback event may not come for a while yet. He is a lowly reserve for both next week's Volvo China Open and then the Ballantine's Championship in Korea, so the Spanish Open in Barcelona on 5-8 May looks the likely return date.

His case came before the tournament committee chaired by Dane Thomas Bjorn and comprising 14 other players, including fellow Scots Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie, along with Paul Casey, Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Tour chief executive George O'Grady did not get involved because, if Saltman had decided to appeal on being found guilty, O'Grady would have chaired the hearing.

It left the committee acting both as jury in coming to a verdict and then judge as well in deciding a sentence. That may be about to change, with the Tour following the lead of some other sports in having such matters handled by a disciplinary panel.

"We are reviewing the whole process," said Casey after finishing 38th on Sunday. "We were aware of the fact that the ban would come at a time when the qualifying school graduates do not get many starts. We did not take the decision lightly. We thought about it long and hard and it was very difficult."