<p>PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Max Homa didn’t make the cut and couldn’t even shoot par his previous three trips to the Valspar Championship. He had a simple explanation for why he’s playing well this year.</p>
<p>“I think I’m just better at golf now,” Homa said Friday.</p>
<p>With a 3-wood that set up a short eagle putt and a few long birdie putts with perfect pace, Homa stumbled a bit at the end and still had a 3-under 68 to share the early lead with Lucas Glover.</p>
<p>Keegan Bradley, who had a two-shot lead after the opening round at Innisbrook, was among those playing in the steamy afternoon with temperatures again pushing 90.</p>
<p>Glover had a good stretch of his own, hitting 6-iron from 209 yards to 4 feet on No. 3, the hardest hole of the second round on the Copperhead course. He followed that with a chip 7-iron to a front pin just over the bunker on the par-3 fourth, settling 4 feet away for another birdie.</p>
<p>Glover had three good looks over the final four holes without making them, though he was plenty satisfied with a 65 to join Homa at 8-under 134.</p>
<p>Homa is still riding high from his victory at Riviera in February, which he won in a playoff over Tony Finau. He also is moving closer to his ultimate goal of playing well whenever and wherever he tees it up.</p>
<p>It’s not perfect every week. It looks good at Innisbrook, particularly his putting. His 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and his 30-foot birdie putt down the hill at No. 4 had just the right touch. He has been working hard on the longer putts, and it shows.</p>
<p>Homa can’t find too much wrong with any part of his game at the moment.</p>
<p>“Good golf is good golf. Good golf travels,” Homa said. “When you’re not playing well, it doesn’t matter how comfortable you are; you’re still probably not going to play so good. My game just feels a lot more whole, a lot better, a lot more repeatable. I feel like I’m not showing up on certain weeks feeling like I just don’t have it at all, which is good.”</p>
<p>Among those who played early, past champion Charl Schwartzel (65), Sungjae Im (67), Zach Johnson (67) and Tom Lewis of England (65) were one shot behind.</p>
<p>Dustin Johnson made enough putts for a 68 and was at 3-under 139, while Justin Thomas felt as though he made nothing at all in his round of 71 that left him another shot behind.</p>
<p>Glover is trying to build confidence. Unlike Homa, he doesn’t have a recent victory to give him a spark. The last win for the former U.S. Open champion was 10 years ago at Quail Hollow.</p>
<p>Still, there is a rhythm to how he plays and how he walks that is starting to look familiar. Glover doesn’t waste any time stepping over the ball and making contact — usually in the middle of the clubface — nor does he get overly excited on a Friday.</p>
<p>But it’s a step in the right direction. His iron play has been average. His short game has bailed him out. All he wants now is to get his game a little more tidy.</p>
<p>“Two more rounds to go. A lot can happen,” Glover said. “But I’m happy the way I’m playing, happy with the way I’m putting and just want to have a shot.”</p>
