Martin out in new cheating row

Golf's cherished reputation for honesty and propriety was today facing renewed examination following the disqualification of Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin from the Dunlop British Masters at the Forest of Arden.

Only two days after Colin Montgomerie was cleared of a ball-marking incident in the recent Indonesian Open, Martin was thrown out of one of the European Tour's premier events after officials ruled he had signed for an incorrect score.

Martin, the winner of three Tour titles and £2.5million in career earnings, appeared to have put himself in contention for the £283,330 first prize when he returned a one-under-par 71 after the first round.

That would have left him only two shots behind overnight leaders David Howell, Brian Davis, Ben Mason and David Lynn. But a viewer watching BBC television saw him take a stance for a shot at the ninth hole that involved standing on a small sapling, which is against the rules and should have incurred a two-shot penalty.

Martin subsequently signed for a bogey five on the hole when it ought to have been a triple-bogey seven.

John Paramour, the European Tour's chief referee,said: "Miguel Angel was disqualified for failing to include a penalty in his score, hence signing for a wrong score."