Greg Norman could have easily jumped at the paycheck that his sudden, post-British Open-run PGA Championship invite would have all but guaranteed. Another golfer his age, without his off-the-course tycoon status, would have had to jump at it.

With the way the rest of golf’s supposed elite get even weaker with Tiger Woods out of the picture, Norman could have grabbed another Top 25 (he wasn’t going Top 3 like at the British Open) in a major too.

Instead Norman did the smart thing, stayed true to his own vision and turned down the PGA of America’s Shark grab.

Norman knew he’d been playing too much golf lately (at 53 he’s played more consecutive weeks than Tiger would at 32) to make a serious run at the PGA, the type of run he made at Royal Birkdale. So he’ll spend that week not in Metro Detroit (sorry hometown, but you’re not much of a lure) but globe trotting on his endlessly lucrative business prospects as usual.

You have to respect Norman for not suddenly deluding himself into thinking he’s a full-time player again. I’ve had more encounters with Norman in this last year than I’ve ever had and one thing that strikes you as you attend openings of new Shark golf courses is that Greg Norman is not a hypocrite. For all his faults - and choking was certainly one of them back in the day, but not at this last British Open - Norman is one of the rare athletes who speaks his mind and largely tells the truth.

When Norman told me how much he loved the Bahamas at the opening of the Blue Shark Golf Club in Nassau, I thought Norman was doing the usual kiss-up-to-the-host-country-PR act. After all, while parts of the Bahamas are nice and it provides a good quick escape for those on the East Coast, if you can travel anywhere in the world like Norman can, it’s hard to believe that the Bahamas would be anywhere near your first choice.

Or anywhere in the Carribean for that matter. Not to go all Tim McDonald on you or anything.

But Norman’s true to his word. For where do The Shark and Chris Evert tie the knot? In the Bahamas. Using the same type of overwhelming security I saw while I was at the Blue Shark.

Greg Norman may be a lot of things. But he’s not a phony.

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