Focused on FedEx Cup, Smith sidesteps LIV talk

It all comes down to Sunday with four players battling it out for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play title. Here’s how to follow the final day in Austin. Day 5 matches/tee times Day 5 scoring HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Wednesday-Friday, 2-8 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (GC), 2-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (GC), 3-7 p.m. (NBC). RADIO: Wednesday-Friday, 2-8 p.m. ET. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com). NOTABLE MATCHES Matt Kuchar vs. Lucas Bjerregaard: 10:20 a.m. ET Francesco Molinari vs. Kevin Kisner: 10:05 a.m. ET MUST READS Match recaps from Day 4 Semifinals preview: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Get to know the Tiger Tamer Garcia slip-up proves very costly McIlroy feels the Tiger effect Why every match matters What the pros are playing with at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Texas ties: How Kite and Crenshaw met CALL OF THE DAY

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Update on April 7 Tiger Woods tweeted an update following his traffic accident in February and thanked those who assisted him. Update on March 16: Tiger Woods is back at home in Florida to continue his recovery from leg injuries suffered in a single car accident in Los Angeles last month. The 82-time PGA TOUR winner wrote on social media that he had been released from hospital care in California and was back in his state of residence on the East Coast. He used the opportunity to thank those helping him through the process of healing from the comminuted open fractures in both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula, and extensive damage to his ankle, suffered when his vehicle rolled over. “Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks,” Woods said in his statement. “Thank you to the incredible surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. You have all taken such great care of me and I cannot thank you enough.” Woods gave no update on the progress of his recovery other than to say, “I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day.” Update on March 10: Speaking ahead of his title defense at THE PLAYERS Championship, Rory McIlroy revealed Tiger Woods is hopeful of returning home to Florida in the near future. Joining Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show”, McIlroy revealed the 82-time PGA TOUR winner has been talking about making the move from his hospital bed in Los Angeles back to Florida to continue his recovery from the accident. “I’ve spoken to him a little bit,” McIlroy said. “He’s doing better. I think all the guys have reached out to him. Hopefully if things go well over the next week or so, he might be able to get home and start recovery at home, which would be great for him. See his kids, see his family. But yeah, he’s doing better. And I think all of us are wishing him a speedy recovery at this point.” McIlroy also revealed Woods’ trademark humor and ribbing hasn’t diminished since he suffered multiple leg fractures in the single-vehicle accident. The Northern Irishman received texts during and after the final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard where he was in contention before fading to a T10 finish. “He texted me some words of encouragement before the final round of Bay Hill on Sunday,” McIlroy added. “And things didn’t quite go to plan, and he was the first one to text me and be like, ‘What’s going on here?’ So even from the hospital bed, he’s still giving me some heat.” Update on February 28: Golfers from the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, LPGA Tour and even the maintenance staff at the Puerto Rico Open wore red and black on Sunday to support Tiger Woods. Woods shared his appreciation for the gesture on Twitter. Update on February 26: LOS ANGELES – Tiger Woods is “recovering and in good spirits” after receiving further procedures on the injuries he suffered in a single-car accident earlier this week. Woods underwent unspecified follow-up procedures at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being transported from the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on Wednesday night. Cedars-Sinai has catered to professional athletes on numerous occasions due to a renowned Sports Medicine Institute and a rehabilitation program for sports-related and orthopedic injuries. “Tiger has moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and received follow-up procedures on his injuries this morning. The procedures were successful, and he is now recovering and in good spirits,” a statement on Woods’ twitter account said. “Tiger and his family want to thank you all for the wonderful support and messages they have received over the past few days. We will not have any further updates at this time. Thank you for your continued privacy.” RELATED: TOUR players, sports world, celebrities wish Woods well Update on February 24: Tiger Woods suffered significant injuries to his right leg and remains hospitalized after a single-car accident in Rancho Palos Verdes on Tuesday morning. The 82-time PGA TOUR winner underwent surgery after suffering comminuted open fractures to the upper and lower sections of his right leg along with significant trauma to his ankle. “As previously communicated, Tiger was involved in a single-car accident earlier (Tuesday) morning in California. He has undergone a long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle after being brought to the hospital,” a statement on Woods’ Twitter account from the TGR foundation team read, before passing on an update on his condition from the hospital. “Mr. Woods suffered significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity that were treated during emergency surgery by Orthopedic trauma specialists at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a level one trauma center,” Dr. Anish Mahajan, Chief Medical Officer & Interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center added. “Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle was stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.” The statement closed by confirming Woods is in recovery. “He’s currently awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room. Thank you to the wonderful doctors and hospital staff at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department and the Fire Department. Your support and assistance has been outstanding. “There are no further updates at this time and we continue to thank you for your well-wishes and privacy for him and his family.” Woods, who was in town to host The Genesis Invitational last week, was driving alone in an SUV when his vehicle rolled over while traveling northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said via statement earlier Tuesday. “On February 23, 2021, at approximately 7:12 AM LASD responded to a single vehicle roll-over traffic collision on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes. The vehicle was traveling northbound on Hawthorne Boulevard at Blackhorse Road, when it crashed. The vehicle sustained major damage,” the statement read in part. “The driver and sole occupant was identified as PGA (TOUR) golfer Eldrick ‘Tiger’ Woods. Mr. Woods was extricated from the wreck … then transported to a local hospital by ambulance for his injuries.” The Sheriff’s Department said Woods was conscious when first responders reached his side and was calm and lucid. He was extricated with the help of a Halligan tube (pry bar) and an axe to get him through the front windshield before being transported to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. “He was alive, and he was conscious. There was no evidence of impairment at the scene,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, the first to respond to the scene, confirmed Woods was wearing his seatbelt. “The fact that he was wearing his seatbelt, I would say, it greatly increased the likelihood it saved his life.” Gonzalez said. PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan said the entire TOUR community had Woods’ well-being in their thoughts. “We have been made aware of Tiger Woods’ car accident today. We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers,” Monahan said via statement. The 45-year-old Woods stayed back after the tournament to film GOLFTV content that included giving celebrities golf lessons – actors David Spade and Jada Pinkett Smith were among those who tweeted about their encounters on Monday prior to the accident. On Sunday Woods told the CBS broadcast he was unsure of when he would return from his recent back surgery, a fifth such procedure since April 2017. The last time he played competitive golf was with his son Charlie in December’s PNC Championship. “I’m feeling fine,” Woods said Sunday. “I’m a little bit stiff. I have one more MRI scheduled so that we’ll see if the annulus (fibrosus) is scarred over finally and see if I can start doing more activities. But still in the gym, still doing the mundane stuff that you have to do for rehab, the little things before I can start gravitating towards something a little more.”

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Nearly eight decades ago, a young boy trounced through the woods in search of work. Neither of his parents played golf, but this son of an auto mechanic had heard that caddying could be a good source of extra income.   It was 4 miles from his house to Avon Fields Golf Course in Cincinnati, Ohio. He made the commute on foot.   “I didn’t mind the walk over in the morning, but the walk home in the dark was spooky,� Paul Thomas said. He punctuates this sentence with a laugh, an acknowledgement that this scene – a 10-year-old boy walking through dark woods on the way home from work – is a remnant of a bygone era.    Paul didn’t have his own golf clubs, so he played his first rounds with the rental sets available at Avon Fields. The course let caddies play on Mondays. He remembers winning the caddie championship a few years later in the pouring rain.   These were the humble beginnings of a golfing genealogy that produced one of today’s top players. Paul Thomas begat Mike Thomas who begat Justin Thomas, the winner of the 2017 FedExCup and the defending champion at this week’s PGA Championship.   Paul Thomas turned pro as a teenager, but not for the same reasons his grandson made a similar move at age 20. Justin was a phenom who’d prepared his entire life for the pro ranks. Paul left school early to make a living.   “I was forced out (of school) because of finances, and that was the first opportunity at halfway decent employment,� Paul said. “I know it sure didn’t pay much in those days.�   Paul was a lifelong club pro, but also an accomplished player who competed in the same events as Palmer, Nicklaus and Hogan. Before Justin Thomas won golf’s richest prize, Paul would regale him with tales from professional golf’s hardscrabble days. Hearing about his grandfather’s brushes with the game’s greats stoked Justin’s passion for the game.   “He’s told me the same stories a million times, but I never tell him to stop,� Justin said. “I keep all his voicemails.�   His grandparents’ presence behind the 18th green was the reason Justin got emotional before hitting the final putt of his four-stroke victory at last week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Paul and Phyllis Thomas had never been on-hand for one of their grandson’s nine PGA TOUR victories. Paul enjoyed ice cream for breakfast in player dining before watching Justin conquer the same Firestone course where he played the PGA Championship in 1960. Paul made the cut with a second-round 72 that even bested the great Ben Hogan by a stroke. As the courses have gotten longer and the crowds have grown larger, it’s become harder for Paul and Phyllis to watch their grandson play golf. They follow closely from their home in Columbus, Ohio, though. Paul was one of the first to call Justin after he won last year’s PGA at Quail Hollow. Paul felt the tension when Justin stepped to the tee at the watery par-3 17th and celebrated when his grandson’s 214-yard 7-iron stopped within 2 feet of the hole. “He stood up there like a man and just staked it,� Paul said. Paul could appreciate such a shot because he grew up in an era that demanded toughness. He took a crack at the TOUR as a 25-year-old in 1957, back when professional golf was still gaining traction and players caravanned across the country to play for pittance. Paul Thomas (center) stands next to his son Mike and grandson Justin. (Submitted photo) “I wasn’t nowhere near good enough. I was just scraping it together, anyway,� Paul said. “The TOUR was just getting organized. It was nothing like it is today. You’d enter one tournament from the last one.�   Paul served as an assistant pro at several clubs before becoming the head professional at Ohio’s Zanesville Country Club in 1963. He was 31 years old, and already had been a professional for 13 years.    He held the post for more than a quarter-century while remaining one of the top players in the Central Ohio PGA. He played with Arnold Palmer on the PGA TOUR Champions, made the cut in three U.S. Senior Opens and even beat former U.S. Open champion Tommy Bolt in an 18-hole exhibition.   Paul was an old-school instructor – “I don’t believe in theory because no two people are the same,� he said – whose students included two future LPGA Tour winners, Tammie Green and Michele Redman, and Mike Thomas, the second-oldest of his four sons.   Green, whose seven wins included one major, the 1989 du Maurier, lists Paul as the biggest influence on her career. Mike Thomas was a good amateur and an all-Ohio Valley Conference honoree at Morehead State before following his father into the club pro ranks.   Mike, too, enjoyed a lengthy tenure at one club, Harmony Landing Country Club outside of Louisville, and Justin reaped the benefits. The members were supportive of their head pro’s son, allowing him full use of the course and practice facility.   “You could tell when he was 7, 8, 9, 10 years old, he had something. You could tell that there was a big possibility there,� Paul said. “I remember telling him a long time ago that, as well as he drives the ball, don’t spend your time hitting those irons. Get out there and hit the sand wedge and the pitching wedge.�   The Thomas men all have strong short games. The putter was one of the strongest clubs in Paul’s bag. Mike was influenced by his father’s devotion to that aspect of the game, and he enjoyed practicing shots that he could see go in the hole. And Justin followed his father to the chipping green, a constant site of competition between three generations of Thomas men.   Paul won’t take credit for his grandson’s success, though.   “I would say the most help I ever gave him was playing with him and talking to him,� he said. “His dad is his only teacher, and that’s the way it should be.� Paul’s stories “influenced Justin’s love and passion� for the game, Mike said. Paul’s success as a player helped him teach course management and the art of playing the game. The older Thomases could be overly technical, though, so Mike tried to keep his instruction of Justin simple, focusing on the fundamentals. And after struggling to meet his father’s high standards, Mike also wanted to ensure his son had fun on the course. “My dad will be the first to tell you that he was pretty hard on me,� Mike Thomas said. “He had fun, but when it came to competition he was hard on himself. He was hard on himself, so he was hard on me. “That was a different era. Those guys truly did dig it out of the dirt.� Paul was born in 1931 in Ashland, Kentucky, a steel town on the border of West Virginia, but his family moved to Cincinnati when he was 5. Two of his early assistant-pro jobs took him to York, Pennsylvania, and Tequesta, Florida, where he worked for Ohio native and established PGA TOUR winner Dow Finsterwald at Tequesta Golf Club. Tequesta is a short distance from Jupiter, where Justin Thomas and a parade of other PGA TOUR players now live.   In 1958, Paul returned to Cincinnati to work as an assistant pro at Western Hills Country Club. He quickly established himself as one of the state’s top players. He won that year’s Southern Ohio PGA Championship to qualify for the PGA Championship. He never made it to the national championship, though.   Paul was declared ineligible because his membership to his new PGA section hadn’t yet transferred. Finsterwald, his old boss, won with a final-round 67, finishing two shots ahead of Billy Casper. Paul’s favorite player, Sam Snead, finished third.   There would be other PGA Championship chances earned, however. Paul played at Firestone CC in 1960 and Olympia Fields in ’61, and he also competed in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont.   He missed the 54-hole cut at Firestone but had good company: Hogan, weeks after nearly winning his fifth U.S. Open, also failed to qualify for the final round.   Thomas remained a stalwart in his PGA section, twice winning the Central Ohio PGA Championship. His best success came in his 40s and 50s; he finished T15 in the 1983 U.S. Senior Open and played with Palmer in the final round of the Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic in Lexington, Kentucky. Thomas trailed Palmer by just a stroke entering the final round, but shot a 77 to Palmer’s 67. Those numbers have long since faded. The memory hasn’t.   Paul, 86, still plays a handful of times per week and gives the occasional lesson. He’s shot his age every year since turning 64. And, of course, he watches his grandson succeed in the family trade.   “After he showed that he was going to make it, I told him, ‘Only you can screw this thing up. It’s up to you to make something out of yourself,’� Paul said. “And he sure did.�

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