Bettac Outlasts Janes in Commanding Match Play Statement at The Quarry
The Quarry Golf Course played host to one of the Prairie Golf League’s most anticipated opening-round clashes this afternoon as Jan Bettac squared off against reigning 2025 Sicamous Invitational Major Champion Zachary Janes in the inaugural Bonnie Doon Denture Clinic Match Play Major Championship.
Entering the contest, Bettac carried momentum from a string of impressive overseas performances in recent International Opens, while Janes looked to continue the major-winning form that elevated him into one of the league’s marquee names last season.
Early on, it appeared Janes may have been ready to seize control.
The reigning major champion struck first, claiming the opening hole to move 1UP and immediately ignite the crowd gathered around the opening stretch at The Quarry. But the advantage proved short-lived. Trouble off the tee on the second hole sent Janes into the adjacent fairway, and Bettac capitalized clinically. A towering drive positioned Bettac perfectly, allowing him to level the match with authority.
From there, the momentum steadily shifted.
Bettac grabbed the outright lead on the third hole and never relinquished it. While the two competitors traded matching scores over the next several holes, Bettac’s consistency off the tee and calm approach under pressure continually forced Janes into reactive golf.
The pivotal moment of the opening side came at the demanding par-5 seventh. Janes found severe trouble down the right side and was forced to take a drop. Both players battled to salvage the hole, but Bettac’s scrambling proved superior as he extended the lead. By the turn, Bettac stood firmly in command at 2UP.
The back nine offered Janes opportunities to respond, but Bettac repeatedly answered every challenge.
A win on the 10th pushed Bettac’s lead to 3UP before Janes clawed one back on the following hole to narrow the deficit. Then came perhaps the boldest moment of the afternoon on the drivable 12th.
After watching Bettac stripe the middle of the fairway, Janes made an aggressive club change and elected to hit driver despite recent inconsistency with the club. The gamble nearly produced one of the shots of the tournament as Janes drove the green in spectacular fashion. Yet the momentum swing never materialized. A sluggish three-putt par only matched Bettac’s par, allowing the international standout to maintain complete control of the match.
The pressure continued to mount.
Janes again found trouble on the next stretch, including another costly visit to a fairway bunker that resulted in another lost hole. By the time the competitors arrived at the elevated 206-yard par-3 16th, Bettac sensed the finish line.
After Bettac safely found the left side of the green, Janes answered with another bunker miss. Attempting a difficult recovery, Janes skulled the shot into a second bunker on the opposite side of the green before conceding both the hole and the match.
With that, Bettac secured a convincing victory and punched his ticket into the next round.
Speaking afterward, Janes was candid in defeat.
“Jan was too strong today. He played great and no power or finesse could match the raw shot-shaping ability of Jan Bettac. My team and I will be taking this loss back home and reviewing what went wrong and start preparing for the Harvest Cup coming up later this year.”
Reports following the round suggested Janes may consider a brief stay at a Swiss rehabilitation facility — notably the same one recently attended by Tiger Woods — as he regroups following the disappointing exit.
Bettac, meanwhile, remained gracious in victory during his post-match media appearance.
“It was a battle out there today. I went into the match not knowing what was going to happen. My steady tee shots, being able to find the fairways, and scrambling ability during tough shots proved to be the key factor in today’s match.”
With the win, Bettac advances and will now await the winner of the upcoming first-round showdown between David Dach and Clark Melenka as the Bonnie Doon Denture Clinic Match Play Major Championship continues to deliver early drama.
