Elliot Saltman vigorously denies "disgusting" cheat slur

As Niall Kearney finish nine shots behind the card winners at the European Tour Qualifying School Finals, Scotland’s Elliot Saltman vigorously defended himself against what he called “disgusting” allegations labelling him a cheat.

Saltman (28) and his younger brother Lloyd (25) created history at PGA Golf de Catalunya when they became the first siblings to win their cards at the same ‘school’.

But while Elliot was relieved to finish just inside the top 30 and ties on the nine-under limit after a brave 70, he is incensed by the growing number of comments on the internet accusing him of cheating.

He has been at the centre of  whispering campaign by tour players since he was disqualified at the M2M Russian Challenge Cup in September for replacing his ball incorrectly on the green.

Playing partners Marcus Higley and Stuart Davis complained that he had marked his ball at “eight o’clock” and replaced his ballmarker in the “six o’clock” position.

The player accepted the penalty at the time but now bitterly regrets doing so given the fallout.

“I am disgusted to be honest,” he said in reference to the comments circulating about him on the web. “It affects not only me but my family. Not one player has come up to me and asked me my side of the story.

“I don’t want to be labelled as a cheat. Nobody wants that reputation. The sooner this gets sorted out the better.”

As a result of the outcry amongst his peers following the “Russian Affair”, Saltman has been asked to appear in front of an informal meeting of the Tournament Players Committee to explain his case. It will then fall to the Committee to decide if further action is taken against him.

“I thought it was dead and buried but I am 100 percent positive that we will get this resolved. I have an informal meeting with the Tournament Players Committee and I will be more than happy to explain my case,” the player said in Girona.

Addressing the circumstance surrounding his disqualification in Russia, Saltman said: “They said I had marked the ball at eight o’clock and replaced it at six o’clock. Marcus Higley said I did it twice and Stuart Davis said it was once and then later said that he wasn’t sure.

“I have always marked the ball at six o’clock and replaced it correctly. I accepted what was said at the time [of the disqualification] because I was in shock and I didn’t want to be labelled a cheat. I am sorry now that I didn’t stand up for myself.”

In a statement, David Garland, Director of Tour Operations for The European Tour, said: “Elliot Saltman was disqualified during this year’s M2M Russian Challenge Cup …. That disqualification has been debated by The European Tour Tournament Committee and further discussions will take place with the player himself before any further comment is made.”

England’s Simon Wakefield closed with a five under 67 to win the ‘school’ by two shots from Spain’s Carlos del Moral on 21-under par as 34 players claimed cards on nine under par or better.

Kearney (22), who was already guaranteed a full Challenge Tour card after making the four-round cut, finished 67th of the 70 players to survive the four-round cut on level par after a closing 72 that summed up his week.

“I had loads of birdies and eagles but there were too many bogeys and double bogeys,” he said after a round that featured an eagle, three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. “I’m disappointed but there are a lot of positives to take away because I hit of lot of good shots.

“I struggled off the tee but that should be easy to fix and I have a full category on the Challenge Tour and the chance to play in four or five main tour events, so it’s perfect.

“Next year the plan is to go out and get my card through the top 10 or 20 on the Challenge Tour. Hopefully I won’t be back here again - but you never know.”

European Tour Final Qualifying Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort (Par 428 - Stadium Course, Par 72; Tour Course, Par 72)

Final results (after final 36 holes on Stadium Course)

407 S Wakefield (Eng) 70 68 65 70 67 67;

409 C Del Moral (Esp) 68 72 64 71 65 69;

411 M Korhonen (Fin) 73 67 65 66 71 69;

412 A Gee  (Eng) 66 71 65 73 72 65;

413 J Van Zyl (RSA) 72 67 65 69 73 67;

414 F Fritsch  (Ger) 69 65 68 73 74 65; L Bond (Wal) 66 69 67 71 73 68; A Harto  (Den) 68 76 66 65 70 69;

415 R Wattel  (Fra) 71 68 65 72 68 71; S Manley (Wal) 74 65 64 73 67 72;

416 T Sluiter  (Ned) 72 70 68 68 69 69; L Saltman (Sco) 68 69 65 72 73 69; J Haeggman (Swe) 70 73 68 68 67 70; S Norris  (RSA) 68 71 68 68 71 70; V Dubuisson  (Fra) 69 74 69 65 68 71; J Knutzon (USA) 69 68 66 73 69 71; T Norret (Den) 69 69 66 72 68 72; M Nixon (am) (Eng) 74 69 65 64 71 73;

417 G Coetzee (RSA) 72 63 70 73 69 70; S Lewton (Eng) 63 72 66 70 72 74; A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 70 67 64 69 71 76;

418 A Kaleka  (Fra) 69 73 67 70 71 68; F Ohlsson (Swe) 67 69 68 75 69 70; P Oriol (Esp) 71 69 67 68 70 73; W Ormsby (Aus) 66 71 66 72 70 73;

419 M Quiros (Esp) 74 67 68 72 70 68; S Garcia (Esp) 70 68 66 77 68 70; E Saltman  (Sco) 66 71 64 74 74 70; E Johansen  (Nor) 67 73 65 70 73 71; F Delamontagne  (Fra) 75 66 66 72 68 72; M Brier (Aut) 71 68 65 75 68 72; B Etchart  (Esp) 71 69 64 71 71 73; S Tiley (Eng) 73 71 68 65 68 74; R Kakko  (Fin) 71 68 64 71 69 76.

End of card winners

420 E Kofstad (Nor) 71 64 69 75 74 67; M Tunnicliff (Eng) 70 74 68 66 74 68; M Ruiz (Par) 68 73 67 71 72 69; M Lundberg (Swe) 73 71 69 67 70 70; A Ahokas (Fin) 75 69 70 66 69 71; J Arruti (Esp) 74 66 69 68 70 73; C Doak (Sco) 67 73 64 73 68 75;

421 A Tadini (Ita) 68 73 64 72 73 71; P Dwyer (Eng) 72 72 71 64 70 72; T Whitehouse  (Eng) 73 67 66 72 71 72; B Ritthammer (Ger) 70 70 67 72 68 74; M Southgate (am) (Eng) 74 69 69 67 67 75;

422 A Tampion  (Aus) 64 72 69 72 75 70; P Gustafsson (Swe) 75 70 70 65 71 71; S Little (Eng) 71 71 65 71 73 71; D Denison  (Eng) 70 71 66 74 69 72; E Dubois (Fra) 70 72 62 71 72 75; E Canonica (Ita) 69 69 65 71 73 75;

423 T Feyrsinger  (Aut) 70 71 65 75 72 70; M Kieffer (Ger) 70 71 63 72 73 74;

424 J Campillo (Esp) 66 71 68 69 69 81;

425 C Lloyd (am) (Eng) 69 71 67 70 77 71; F Henge (Swe) 69 75 70 67 71 73; S Hend (Aus) 74 69 66 71 72 73;

426 J Lagergren (Swe) 78 64 67 72 74 71; F Valera (Esp) 69 73 66 73 73 72; A Grenier  (Fra) 71 72 72 65 74 72; J Doherty  (Sco) 66 73 63 77 73 74; C Monasterio (Arg) 66 73 68 72 68 79;

427 D Brooks (Eng) 77 67 70 66 75 72; F Calmels  (Fra) 72 70 64 73 76 72; B Evans  (Eng) 70 72 65 71 75 74;

428 Niall Kearney (Irl) 76 65 67 72 76 72;

429 J Elson  (Eng) 76 69 67 63 78 76;

430 L Westerberg (Swe) 72 70 68 70 74 76;

432 J Robinson (Eng) 69 73 66 73 75 76.

Missed the 72-hole cut

282 C Brazillier  (Fra) 70 76 69 67; C Gane (Eng) 71 72 69 70; J McLeary  (Sco) 71 75 70 66; J Etulain  (Arg) 78 68 70 66; J Lucquin (Fra) 64 77 71 70; R Kind (Ned) 72 73 71 66; A Coltart (Sco) 75 70 71 66; L Dodd  (Eng) 67 76 71 68; J Colomo  (Esp) 73 72 72 65; J Lima  (Por) 72 71 67 72; B Grace  (RSA) 66 77 72 67; B Hebert  (Fra) 72 67 71 72; V Riu  (Fra) 68 75 73 66; Simon Thornton (Irl) 72 69 68 73; S Arnold  (Aus) 72 68 69 73; J Guerrier  (Fra) 72 68 68 74; N Bollini  (USA) 70 72 64 76; A Bruschi  (Ita) 68 73 65 76; S Luna (Esp) 72 67 66 77;

283 A Snobeck  (Fra) 71 73 66 73 0 0; L Gagli  (Ita) 70 74 67 72; M Kramer  (Ger) 69 78 70 66; M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 75 69 70 69; S Walker (Eng) 77 67 70 69; T Sherreard (am) (Eng) 69 75 71 68; S Davis (Eng) 71 70 69 73; D Lokke (Den) 70 70 70 73; J Ruth  (Eng) 70 72 67 74; J Legarrea (Esp) 70 71 66 76; J Dantorp (Swe) 69 69 68 77;

284 D Vancsik (Arg) 72 73 69 70; B Chapellan (Fra) 69 74 72 69; A Canete (Arg) 69 72 70 73;

285 A Perrino  (Ita) 76 72 69 68; B Pieters (RSA) 71 75 70 69; M Bliss (Can) 72 71 70 72; M Soffietti (Ita) 71 75 72 67; J Backstrom (Swe) 74 71 73 67 0 0; C Ford (Eng) 72 71 73 69 0 0; S Chowrasia (Ind) 73 69 70 73; T Mordt  (RSA) 67 75 68 75;

286 R Russell (Sco) 69 75 69 73; G Adell (Swe) 74 69 72 71; Colm Moriarty (Irl) 74 69 72 71; C Suneson (Esp) 71 75 73 67; L Claverie (Esp) 72 70 71 73; B Miarka (Ger) 74 71 74 67; N Johansson (Swe) 74 69 74 69; J Larsen  (Nor) 71 70 71 74; S Harrington (USA) 75 69 75 67; A Forsyth (Sco) 73 69 67 77; T Leon (USA) 73 70 78 65;

287 O Fraustro  (Mex) 76 73 68 70; A Hall (Aus) 77 71 72 67; S Bebb (Wal) 77 69 74 67; Damian Mooney (Nir) 68 75 77 67;

288 O David  (Fra) 77 72 71 68; R De Sousa (Sui) 69 74 71 74; J Barnes (Eng) 73 76 72 67; A Jacobsson (Swe) 77 69 74 68; M Warren (Sco) 72 72 76 68; J Grillon  (Fra) 74 70 76 68;

289 J Clement  (Sui) 73 79 69 68; R Steiner (Aut) 69 74 74 72; S Drummond (Sco) 72 74 75 68; R Kulacz (Aus) 69 68 76 76; N Meitinger  (Ger) 70 73 78 68; P Broadhurst (Eng) 73 69 68 79;

290 J Sandelin (Swe) 75 71 68 76; F Colombo (Ita) 75 75 70 70; D Beck (Aus) 73 76 74 67;

291 B Hafthorsson (Isl) 80 73 71 67; G Bhullar (Ind) 73 77 72 69;

292 M Rosenfeld (USA) 74 75 73 70; S Hutsby  (Eng) 78 70 75 69;

293 M Cryer (Eng) 77 72 73 71;

294 R Bescansa (Esp) 77 77 68 72; J Pettersson (Swe) 75 75 78 66;

295 V Almstrom (Swe) 77 71 74 73;

298 C Carranza  (Arg) 72 77 75 74;

299 G Emerson (Eng) 71 73 80 75;

Withdrew/retired: C Russo (Fra) 77 72 74 RT; M Erlandsson (Swe) 74 71 76 RT; A Haig (RSA) 75 74 77 RT; M Vibe-Hastrup  (Den) 74 77 82 RT; P Edberg (Swe) 70 72 77 WD; M Dam (Den) 83 74 WD.