Golf: Lothians legend Gallacher backs Saltman decision

And he believes the Lothians golfer can regain the confidence of fellow players if he shows repent rather than constantly pleading his innocence.

Along with almost everyone else in the game, Gallacher has been keeping a close eye on the events surrounding Saltman since it emerged that he'd been disqualified from a Challenge Tour event in Russia last September.

That stemmed from his two playing partners accusing the Scot of incorrectly marking his ball on five separate occasions. And, following a disciplinary hearing in Abu Dhabi last month, he was handed a ban after being found guilty of a "serious breach of the rules".

Saltman announced on Monday that, on the advice of his lawyers, he has decided not to take up his right of an appeal.

The 28-year-old insists he did nothing wrong in Russia and has never cheated in his professional career. But he is prepared to live with what has happened over the last few months in order that he can get on with his career once his ban is over.

"It is going to be difficult because we all know the rules so there will be a stigma attached," commented Lothians legend Gallacher, below.

"He will have to try hard and be repentful, I suppose. If he genuinely feels he does want to repent, then he'll be able to get on with his career as others will be more interested in concentrating on their own game.

"Life goes on and I think the ball is in his court. He needs to work hard to regain the confidence of his fellow Tour players. At the end of the day, we all make mistakes and he is young enough to hopefully learn from this and put it behind him."

Saltman is only the third player in European Tour history to be banned for cheating.

In 1985, Dunbar's David Robertson was hit with a 20-year ban and 20,000 fine after he was caught moving his ball on the green at an Open qualifier.

Seventeen years later, Swede Johan Tumba was kicked off the circuit for ten years after he altered his scorecard at the Tour's Qualifying School.

According to Gallacher, Saltman's sentence showed the players' committee had decided to give him a chance to make something out of his rookie season on the Tour.

"I think the ruling by the tournament committee was a very good one," added the former Wentworth pro. "It took into account his age and perhaps his naivety.

"The difference with David Robertson is that it was a whole series of things that led to his ban. And, in some sort of ways, that maybe helped him change as a person as there are some people who can't help doing that sort of thing.

"I think the tournament committee definitely gave him (Saltman] the slight benefit of the doubt with the three-month ban."Otherwise it might have been a year.

"I think the players will be happy that he has accepted this judgement and he now needs to be very meticulous about how he goes about his business."