MY ANNUAL battle with my brother-in-law, Steve, continues to rage, but after making an incredibly strong start to the season, things have suddenly stopped going my way.

During our first four rounds of the year, I looked nigh-on unbeatable, playing some genuinely good golf.

Even when I had an off-day I was able to come out on top. I suffered a back-nine meltdown during our fourth encounter, nearly throwing away a 10-shot lead, but still managed to turn things around, making an excellent up-and-down from behind a bunker to secure a par at the final hole and go into a 4-0 advantage.

Since then, things haven't been going anywhere near as well. A horrible encounter with a group of trees resulted in Steve breaking his duck and my problems continued the next time we played.

Neither of us were setting the world alight on the front nine. We both took seven at the par-four opening hole and the pair of us managed to dunk our balls in a pond on the par-five sixth, resulting in more sevens.

Steve managed to pick up a bit and was six shots clear on the ninth tee, but another trip to the water, followed by a duffed tee-shot, resulted in an eight, while I made a fine putt to secure a par five and reduce his lead to three.

Steve looked to have it in the bag when I hacked my way to a nine at the par-five 13th, but he then proceeded to get stuck in a bunker at the next, taking a seven at a par-three, and the lead was back down to three shots with four holes to play.

The 15th hole was a long par-three played over water. I soon found myself playing five from the tee, my first two efforts having found the drink, and while I did pretty well to save a seven, Steve's lead was up to six shots.

However, my opponent did his best to let me back in, finding the trees at the next two par-fours, making seven and then nine as a result.

Going up the last, another par-three over water, I was just two shots in arrears. I played a fine shot, coming up just short of the green, while Steve was incredibly fortunate to clear the water after another poor strike.

However, my dreams were crushed as he made the most of his good luck, hitting his pitch shot stone dead to make par and pull another round back.