Saltman should have been banned worldwide - Westwood

World No 1 Lee Westwood believes Elliot Saltman should not have been allowed to tee it up on the Hi5 Pro Tour in Spain last week.

The Scot, who was recently handed a three-month ban for incorrectly replacing his ball five times in one round during a Challenge Tour event in Russia last season, has less than two weeks to appeal against the decision taken by the European Tour.

Saltman finished fourth behind his brother Lloyd in the Hacienda del Alamo Open on the Hi5 Pro Tour in Murcia last week.

Although Zack Saltman will play, neither Elliot nor Lloyd Saltman have entered this week’s Hi5 event at El Valle in Murcia, where Ireland’s Dara Lernihan, Michael McGeady, Neil O’Briain, Cian Curley, Jonathan Caldwell and Gareth Shaw are in action.

The ban only applies to events sanctioned by the European Tour but Westwood believes that Elliot should never have been allowed to play professional golf anywhere.

Speaking in Qatar, Westwood said: “If you have been banned, it ought to be a worldwide ban, I would have thought.”

Saltman was given 28 days to appeal against the sanction which was imposed after he was found guilty of “a serious breach of the rules” by members of the Players Committee of the European Tour. His playing partners Marcus Higley and Stuart Davis reported him for incorrectly replacing his ball no fewer than five times during the M2M Russian Challenge last September.

If he appeals and loses, he could face an even longer period of suspension and he admitted in Spain last week that his lawyers are looking into the matter.

“Basically and obviously I’m a bit gutted that this has happened,” Saltman told Sky Sports. “At the end of the day it is in the hands of solicitors and lawyers and I cannot really say anything unfortunately until they put me in the right direction.

“Hopefully…whether I get something sorted or just take my ban and come out a stronger and a better person….

“I put my faith in them (my legal team) and whatever they say, I will take on board. Unfortunately, I can’t really say anything and maybe in a week or two weeks time I can give you more information.”