Watson the only obstacle between Thomas and No. 1 ranking

AUSTIN — 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.

A return to form

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 straight holes to start the back nine that carried him to a 2-and-1 victory.

Now he has a clear path 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 Sunday 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 Bubba Watson stands in his way.

Watson outlasted Brian Harman in a battle of Georgia southpaws and 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.

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.”

The other semifinal pits Alex Noren vs. Kevin Kisner.

No vacation … yet

Watson has played the 18th hole just one time this week, a halve with Julian Suri that allowed him to avoid a playoff to advance. Reaching the semifinals was bittersweet in one respect — he was to leave the country Sunday morning for a family vacation. That will have to wait. Aphibarnrat bogeyed the 10th and 11th to fall behind, and Watson birdied the next two holes to go 4 up, win the match and delay his vacation.

Why even book a flight on Sunday knowing he could reach the semifinals? Cheaper airfares?

“I’ve never made it to Sunday at this golf course, so why not?” Watson said. “It’s a good problem to have, when you have to cancel stuff for an extra day. It’s well worth it to play on Sunday.”

So it will be a semifinal match between two players who at one time thought they wouldn’t be in Austin this long.