Ko runs out to 5-shot lead at CME Group Tour Championship

NAPLES, Florida: Lydia Ko is in total control at the halfway mark of the CME Group Tour Championship.

Total control of the season-long scoring and money races, too.

Ko shot a 6-under 66 in Friday’s second round of the LPGA Tour’s season finale, pushing her to 13 under for the tournament and five shots clear of Hyo Joo Kim through 36 holes.

Ko made four birdies in a six-hole stretch midway through her round, rolled in a testy 4-footer to save par on the par-4 13th to maintain what was then a four-shot lead, and hasn’t dropped a shot since her opening hole on Thursday.

“I just wanted to focus on my game,” said Ko, who turned a one-shot lead entering Friday to a five-shot edge when it was over. “It was a pretty tight leaderboard. I shot a low one yesterday and that round, it can be anybody throughout the week.”

Except right now, it’s not anybody else going as low as Ko has.

Ko’s 66 was the round of the day Friday; four other players shot 67’s. Through two rounds at Tiburon, there have been four scores of 66 or lower; Ko has two of them after an opening 65 on Thursday.

Kim (69) made back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 to get to 8 under, alone in second. World No. 1 Nelly Korda (69) is in a pack tied for third at 7 under, along with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (67), Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (69) and Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh (70).

Korda was making a move on the front, closing her first nine with three birdies in a four-hole stretch. But she made nothing but pars on the back nine.

“Lyds is playing well. She’s had an amazing year,” Korda said. “To catch her I’m just going to have to play aggressive and drain the putts.”

And even that might not be enough. Everyone is chasing Ko, who is chasing trophies and more.

Ko entered the