Thomas reaches semifinals, closes in on No. 1

AUSTIN, Texas — Justin Thomas was on antibiotics when he arrived in Texas and mustered enough strength for a short practice round that left him wondering how long he would last in the Dell Technologies Match Play, if at all.

“I had a pretty serious conversation with my dad on Monday if I was going to play,” Thomas said. “There were probably 15 or so people that watched me play nine holes. You find those 15 people and see if they thought I was ready to play in a golf tournament. Some of the shots I hit were pretty funny.”

His health improved. So has his golf.

And now Thomas is one match away from reaching No. 1 in the world and having a shot at his first World Golf Championships title.

Thomas made quick work of Si Woo Kim to win on the 13th hole Saturday morning, and then he pulled away from Kyle Stanley in the afternoon by winning three consecutive holes to start the back nine that carried him to a 2-and-1 victory.

Now he has a clear path — and a familiar one for Bubba Watson — to replace Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world.

Johnson didn’t win a match this week and will not get any world ranking points. That means Thomas only has to beat Watson in the semifinals this morning to become the seventh American to top the world ranking.

“I don’t care when it happens,” Thomas said about going to No. 1. “I just hope it happens, and it happens for a while.”

It’s only fitting Watson stands in his way. Watson outlasted Brian Harman in a battle of Georgia southpaws and then won five of six holes to start the back nine to beat Kiradech Aphibarnrat, 5 and 3. That put him in the semifinals for the first time since his Match Play debut in 2011 when it was in Arizona.

That was the year the reigning PGA champion — Martin Kaymer — only had to beat Watson to reach No. 1 in the world. Kaymer won with an 8-foot par on the 18th hole.

“I guess I’m good at that,” Watson said. “If you want No. 1, just beat me, and you’ll be No. 1.”

Alex Noren extended his run at Austin Country Club by winning for the ninth time in his last 10 matches. His only loss was to Johnson a year ago in the quarterfinals, and he needed only 31 holes to beat Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith of Australia.

Noren and Thomas are the only semifinalists who have not lost a match this week.