British Amateur Championship: Ireland's Gareth Maybin refused to blame a nasty blow on the head for failing to reach the quarter-finals of the British Amateur championship at St Andrews yesterday.

While defending champion Gary Wolstenholme was losing to German Patrick Niederdrenk, the 23-year-old from Ballyclare in Co Antrim was on the 13th tee of the Old Course when a wayward shot from a woman on the adjoining Eden Course came straight at him. Maybin heard her shout of "Fore" and ducked, but the ball hit him on the back of the head and he fell to the ground.

Luckily, two Irish doctors were among the crowd and they checked him over while the woman came across and apologised.

Maybin continued with a bump as a souvenir of the incident, beat Australian Michael Sim 2 and 1, but then lost 5 and 4 to England international Lee Corfield in the afternoon's fourth round.

"The bump's still there, but it wasn't bothering me," he said. "I played very average and Lee played very well. He has a chance to win this."

Later, Rhys Davies of Royal Porthcawl took the last two holes off Michael McGeady of North West to end Irish interest with a one-hole victory.

In the morning, McGeady had beaten Florian Fritsch of Germany 3 and 1.

The 21-year-old Corfield, from the Somerset coast, still remembers scoring 86 in his first round at the Home of Golf two years ago, but was nine under par for his two matches yesterday.

He had hammered Guildford's Ryan Harrison 6 and 5 before lunch.

"You've got to kill them off as early as possible," said the West of England champion, revealing a ruthless streak.

Corfield next plays Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who was 10th in the Madrid Open last October and is trying to become the third Spanish winner in the last seven years after Sergio Garcia and Alejandro Larrazabal.

The 23-year-old beat Niederdrenk by the same 3 and 2 margin by which the Frankfurt 20-year-old ended Wolstenholme's hopes of becoming the first player to retain the title since Peter McEvoy in 1978.