Palm Harbor, Florida …

Tiger Woods is brilliantly primed to end a near five-year victory drought in grabbing a share of the clubhouse lead on day two of the Valspar Championship near Tampa in Florida.

Woods was in the lead at five-under par near lunch on day two of the event before his only dropped shot in missing the final green right and then taking three shots to hole out in a round of a three-under par 68.

Tiger Woods ends his second round tied for the lead and now looking to end a near five-year winless drought heading to the final two rounds of the Valspar Championship. (Photo @tourmiss)

It left Woods sharing the clubhouse lead on four-under par with Surrey’s Paul Casey and American Brandt Snedeker and both also posting 68s on the Copperhead course.

It is the first occasion Woods has shared the lead in a PGA Tour event, and albiet the mid-round lead, since the second round of the 2015 Wyndham Championship and his final event before a near 16-month injury lay-off.

“It’s great because I am up there now with a chance to win,” said Woods.

“It was a good day’s work as it was cold early and then the wind started picking-up a bit but then it was inconsistent and tough to assess what direction it was coming from.

“So, there was a lot of guessing and I guessed pretty good so I now have a really good Saturday tee time.”

Woods went into the second round again drawing a record tournament following and with the west coast of Florida fans needing only to wait to the third hole where Woods holed a nine-footer for the first of four birdies.

He then birdied his fourth hole in sinking a six-footer and then moved to a then share of the with a birdie at the 11th hole of his round.

Woods then found himself in the lead in getting up-and-down for birdie at his 14th hole prior to the only hiccup on day two at his last.

“It’s just a matter of cleaning-up a few shots here and there and I had a shot lead with a few holes to go,” Woods added.

“So, all I will be doing now over the weekend is bascially continue trying to do what I have been doing for these first two rounds.

“I made some little changes in my game since we were out in L.A. and they’ve worked so much so I am now feeling a lot more comfortable with my game than I was at the Honda last fortnight.”

Woods, and competing for a first time in the Valspar, is chasing a first victory since running away by seven shots with the 2013 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational trophy.

And before heading to the clubhouse Woods singled out caddy, Joe LaCava for special praise and the duo conversing more in the first two days here at Innisbrook than for a long while, and this due to the tricky conditoins.

“We’re talking a lot. Way more than normal,” said Woods.

“It’s hard to get a bead on what it’s doing up there. He’s doing his best to try and figure it out. I’m doing my best to try and figure it out. And then we had to pick the club that I’m going to hit a certain trajectory and shape and I’m backing off with it here and there and switching clubs. It’s tough.

“So, this is a tough week for Joe trying to figure out what we’re doing in these trees and wind.”