At the time, former Augusta State University volunteer assistant golf coach Henry Thomas was disappointed the inaugural tournament in his honor was postponed in October.

As it turns out, the rescheduled Augusta State Alumni Golf Challenge for the Henry Thomas Cup -- it will be played Saturday at Forest Hills Golf Club -- might turn out to be more of a success on the later date.

That's if the weather cooperates.

It didn't Oct. 24-25, the scheduled dates for the Alumni Challenge and the Birdie Club Jaguar Golf Jamboree. Rain was forecast for that weekend, so it was postponed until this weekend.

A number of former Jaguar stars, including two-time PGA Tour winner Vaughn Taylor of Evans, had commitments during the original date, but can play this weekend.

Other players who were iffy or had a conflict -- such as Jonathan Shiflet and Robby Watson -- have now committed.

In all, about 25 current and former Jags are going to play for the Thomas Cup, according to former Augusta State player Jamie Felder. Teams from the various decades, starting with the 1960s, will play for the Cup. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with a shotgun start.

The Birdie Club Jaguar Golf Jamboree, a lauderdale event, will be played Sunday.

Thomas, who has had restrictive heart disease since 1990 and been through four operations, retired after the 2004 season.

The Thomson resident helped the Jaguars for 33 years, working with all six coaches in the program's history (Marvin Vanover, Tim Crosby, Ernie Lanford, Jim Kelson, Jay Seawell and Josh Gregory).

Taylor was among the more than 300 golfers who Thomas coached. He even roomed with him a number of times when he was a Jaguar.

"I consider us real close," Thomas said. "One year Vaughn qualified for the regionals, but the team didn't and I roomed with him all week in New York," Thomas said.

Having Taylor play in the Alumni Challenge "will be a big boost for the Birdie Club," Thomas said, referring to the patron group for the men's and women's golf teams. "With him getting involved, the sky is the limit."

It was Felder and Jeff Keck, another former Jaguar, who came up with the idea of honoring the 66-year-old Thomas.

"Jeff called me and said he'd heard through the grapevine that Henry was having some health problems," said Thomas' wife, Jody. "They said they wanted to do something for Henry and wanted to know if this was a good time.

"I told them there couldn't be a better time to do it. Fall and winter are the worst seasons on him because the cold temperatures affect his breathing."

Thomas' right diaphragm is paralyzed, and he has only 20 percent capacity left in the right one. Yet, he'll be at Forest Hills on Saturday to see his former players, and present the Henry Thomas Cup to the winning team in the Alumni Challenge, which will be an annual event.

"I've had a lot (of former players) call me that I haven't talked to in years," Thomas said. "It's good to think people think a lot of you. That kind of got to me. I'm tickled to death."

Said Jody Thomas: "Oh, my Gosh, this means the world to him. He's so absolutely humbled. When he found out, he was totally floored. He said, 'All these people are coming back to see me? I've got to get better.' "

Thomas is not a candidate for a lung transplant because he has nerve damage in the lung area.

"The doctors say don't give up; they're inventing things every day," he said. "The hope for something to help me is what keeps me going."

His spirit, which helped lift up three decades worth of Jaguars, is carrying Thomas now.

"I'm not in good shape, but I'm making the best of it," Thomas said. "It's still getting worse, but I'm not giving up. I ought to be around for a number of years."

That's good news to former players like Felder, who haven't forgotten what it meant to have a friendly face around during a road tournament. Thomas estimates he took more than 300 road trips with the Jaguars.

"Henry didn't give you advice on golf, but if you were frustrated or down, he'd make some wisecrack to make us laugh and put us in a better mood," Felder said. "He would loosen up the team at the NCAAs, or whatever it might be."

Felder graduated in 1999, yet he and Thomas still stay in touch.

"When Henry can't sleep, he'll pick up his cell phone in the middle of the night and he'll call one of the golfers," Jody Thomas said. "It doesn't matter if they've been asleep or they're out of town. I can hear Henry talking to the guys about what's going on in their lives and who did what in this tournament."

Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.