NBC, Golf Channel, anyone within hailing distance of Palm Harbor, and every red-blooded golf fan, couldn't have asked for anything more. Tiger Woods sitting in a tie for second place in the Valspar Championship, two strokes behind unknown Canadian Corey Connors, with a tee time of 1:45 today, 45 minutes into Golf Channel's TV coverage. And, after two hours, NBC will follow at 3 p. m. with Tiger and playing partner Brandt Snedeker somewhere around the fifth hole.    

    Tiger began Friday's second round on the back nine at Innisbrook at 1 under par and he quickly birdied the 12th and 13th holes to get it to 3 under. On the front, he birdied 2 and 5 to go 5 under and he was all alone on top of the leaderboard. A bogey on his final hole dropped him to 4 under and he later fell to second when Connors finished at 6 under. 

    Innisbrook officials noted that ticket sales were up around 15 percent before Tiger announced he would play, and they jumped another 20 percent after the announcement. Chances are good that will increase even more for today. 

    While Tiger thrilled his followers, Ted Potter missed another cut, his third in a row since his victory at Pebble Beach. After his 5-over round of 76 on Thursday, Ted birdied 2 and 8 to get back to 3 over, which later became the cut line. He birdied one hole on the back, No. 11, but bogeys at 10 and 15 left him at 4 over, one away from making it to the weekend. 

    Chris Couch, the ex-Gator playing in his first event in 5 1/2 years, was sailing along at 1 under after 16 holes, with two birdies and one bogey. A double bogey 5 on the 8th hole dropped him to 1 over, but in a tie for 38th he still made the cut in his return.

    Matt Every was the only other Gator to make the cut, with 74-69-143. Billy Horschel (74-72), Brian Gay (73-74) and Camilo Villegas (75-74) all headed home.   

    

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