IN ANY sport, there is nothing better than serving up a dish of tasty revenge to an opponent who has been lauding it over you.

This is especially true in golf, where your competitors are, more often than not, friends, colleagues or even family members.

Late last year, I was informed that my brother-in-law and long-standing golfing rival, Steve, had been making some incredible claims.

After an admittedly impressive spell, his dad, my father-in-law, told me that Steve had boasted: “I don’t think John will ever beat me again. I’m on a different level.”

It has to be said that the next couple of rounds we played after this statement was made seemed to bear this out – but I exacted a hearty dish of stone cold revenge on a filthy March morning at Sherfield Oaks.

The round very nearly didn’t happen. The rain was coming down as we left and got even harder as we approached the course, falling in massive spots on the car windscreen.

Fortunately, we did not see sense, paid our money and headed to the first tee, where a sign of things to come came forth as Steve duffed his opening drive less than 50 yards while I striped one down the middle.

I won the hole to go one up and while a par at the second pulled Steve level, that was as close as he got for the rest of the round.

Pars at holes three and four saw me move two up and while I found the water at the par-three fifth, Steve joined me to throw away a big opportunity.

The sixth was shared in par fives, me draining a fine putt to prevent Steve pulling a hole back, and I won the next two to go four up after eight.

Steve couldn’t believe what was happening but normal service was soon resumed as I played some dreadful stuff around the turn, losing three holes in a row.

My opponent’s tail was up and he almost completed the comeback on the 12th, missing a short putt to pull level. However, as the rain began to strengthen, I took hold of the match, winning the next two to go three up with four to play.

A dreadful slice from me allowed Steve to pull one back on the next, a short par-three, but a bogey on 16 was enough to clinch me a 3&2 victory and I ended up winning by five strokes as well.

Of course, I was quick to remind Steve of his bold claim. I just hope it doesn’t come back to haunt me at a later date.

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