UK Championship: Justin Walters holds halfway lead at The Belfry

Justin Walters battled back from a slow start to his second round to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the ISPS Handa UK Championship.

The South African followed up an opening-round 64 with a one-under 71 on another wet and windy day at The Belfry to edge back to the top of the leaderboard ahead of Benjamin Hebert.

Paul Waring posted the joint-low round of the day to get within two shots of the halfway lead, with Bernd Wiesberger - the highest-ranked player in the field - sitting three off the pace alongside Ryan Fox and English duo Marcus Armitage and Matthew Jordan.

"I'm quite content," Walters said. "I've worked hard to get to this point, my team has worked really hard to help me.

"It's quite special, today a year ago I lost my dad and I've just got quite a sombre, relaxed approach at the moment. Whatever comes my way, comes my way. When something good happens, smile and enjoy it."

Walters lost his overnight advantage with a bogey at the second and cancelled out a birdie at the third with a dropped shot at the next, before ending a run of pars by picking up a shot from three feet at the 13th and taking advantage of the par-five 15th.

Waring had set the early clubhouse target with five birdies in a blemish-free card, while Wiesberger got within one of the lead until he closed out his second-round 71 with a double-bogey at the last.

Jordan, who finished third in the ISPS Handa Wales Open last week, mixed six birdies with three bogeys to also get to six under, while former world No 1 Martin Kaymer is five off the pace following a level-par 72.

Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn are through to the weekend on three under, while Danny Willett marked his first appearance in the UK Swing by posting rounds of 72 and 75 to miss the cut.

Watch the ISPS Handa UK Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf.