Australia’s Hannah Green shot a brilliant, second-round 68 to retain her chances of winning the season-ending LPGA tour championship in Florida today.

Green, who turns 24 tomorrow, made five birdies in the first 14 holes at Tiburon Golf Club to get into a share of the lead before parachuting into the finish. She made a good sand-save at the 16th for par, another scrambled par at the par-five 17th from behind the green, then burned the hole with a good birdie chance at the 18th.

At seven under par overall, she is fourth, two shots from the lead held by world No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea with two rounds to play.

Green, who has deferred her return to Australia to play the $US3 million championship, will be required to quarantine through Christmas as a result of playing so late into the year.

She is one of three Australians inside the top 20 in the event.

Katherine Kirk made a bold second-day run with a four-under par 68 to be tied-13th, while Minjee Lee shot an one-over par 73 today to be tied-16th. Sarah Kemp (73 today) is tied-42nd.

The world Nos. 1 and 2, Ko and Sei Young Kim, are on top of the leaderboard in what may turn out to be a battle for the year-end top ranking.

No Australian has ever won the CME Group championship which draws together the best 72 players on the tour across the year.

Leaderboard