Rookie Corey Conners of Canada retained his lead in the Valspar Championship on a day Tiger Woods stole the show.
The 42-year-old Woods, in his fourth tournament back since a fourth back surgery, shot 3-under-par 68 in the morning wave and held the lead until making his only bogey of the round in the final hole on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Conners, 26, seeking his first pro victory, shot 69 later in the day for a 36-hole total of 6-under 36 and holds a two-stroke lead over Woods, Paul Casey of England, Brandt Snedeker, Ryan Palmer and Kelly Kraft.
“It was freezing and I didn’t have a very good warm-up, but it got warmer after we started,” said Woods, who hasn’t won since he claimed five victories on the PGA Tour in 2013. “I was very patient with where I hit the ball and when I missed a bit, it was in the right place. When I had some chances, I took a run at them.
“I didn’t see many scoreboards out there, so I didn’t know I had the sole lead, but I did know I was in a tie. But it was a grind out there because even though it got warmer, the wind came up. I made a couple of mistakes coming in, but I’m happy with the way I played and the progress I’ve made.”
Casey birdied three of the last eight holes in a 68, while Snedeker had two birdies on each nine in another 68, Palmer sank a five-foot birdie putt on the last hole to shoot 66 and Kraft was alone second until making a bogey at No. 16 to post a 70.
Fifth-ranked Justin Rose of England had three birdies in five holes on the back nine in a 69 and is three shots back in a tie for seventh with Sean O’Hair, who carded a 68, Jason Kokrak, who finished at 67, Webb Simpson, who had a 68, and Keegan Bradley, who came in at 70.
Defending champion Adam Hadwin is tied for 20th after a 70 and Masters champion Sergio Garcia, ranked 11th, is tied for 30th following a 72, while fourth-ranked Jordan Spieth (70) and 12th-ranked Rory McIlroy (73) both missed the cut by two strokes.
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