Whoa: Monty Was On The Committee That Suspended Saltman!**
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From the you-can't-make-it-up files, Lawrence Donegan writes about the European Tour considering a revamp of their disciplinary procedures now that it looks like Elliot Saltman's 3-month ban for cheating may not stand up to legal scrutiny. And it was Colin Montgomerie, recipient of what many declare to be one of the great caught-cheating-on-video free passes ever (since scrubbed from online sources), who sat in judgment of Saltman.
Elliot Saltman, a 28-year-old Scottish professional, was expelled from the game after he was found guilty of a "serious breach" of the rules during an event in Russia last September. He is only the third player in the Tour's history to be banned for cheating, and the first for almost 19 years. But as his lawyers contemplated an appeal today one senior member of the committee that sat in judgment on the Scot here said he felt "a little uncomfortable" making a decision that might seriously affect the career of a fellow player.
And the LOL moment:
Montgomerie said banning Saltman had been a very difficult decision. "But in saying that, the right decision was made and he's learning, and he will learn from this, and Elliot will be bigger and better for it," he said. "There were calls for a longer suspension but I feel three months is sufficient. So I wouldn't say three months was unanimous but it was a majority decision."
Thanks to reader Mel for catching this great moment in European Tour hypocrisy.
I did notice in another story that Paul Casey was on the committee. Perhaps this means Monty was no longer able to evade Paul?
**Steve Elling on the notion of players sitting in judgement of other players.
A legal expert pointed out to the U.K.'s respected Guardian paper that in broad terms, having players sit in judgment of a peer creates the possibility of a huge conflict of interest. For instance, Monty and Saltman are both Scottish. Even the appearance of nationalism should be avoided in such cases. Perhaps one of the players has a personal dislike of Saltman.
Rule of thumb: If it looks like a conflict of interest, that's because it is a conflict of interest.
If amateurs like us can punch holes in the ethics and legality of the E-Tour's sanction system, you can imagine that if Saltman elects to pursue his right to appeal, or take the matter to civil court, lawyers will be lining up to handle the case.
