Watch Chris Kirk’s Clutch Presidents Cup Putt vs. Anirban Lahiri

Kirk and Lahiri were then faced with birdie putts in the 18. His putter tumbled out of his hand and over his back.

They were all square standing on the 18th tee. “But I think I did what I’ve done all week – misread putts”, Lahiri said.

The biennial team match-play contest, held in Asia for the first time, went down the wire in front of large galleries with Bill Haas notching a thrilling 2-up victory which gave the USA one-point win, which was its ninth in the series and sixth consecutive success.

At that moment, rarely has such a competition seen such a swift turnaround.

Anirban Lahiri, the first player from India to make the worldwide team, battled Kirk shot-for-shot over the final hour holes and looked like a victor when he played a delicate pitch to perfection on the par-5 18th and had 4 feet for birdie.

Lahiri played his to near perfection, up the slope and rolling to 4 feet away. American Bubba Watson, who also missed a similar length putt on the last green to halve his match with Thongchai Jaidee, immediately went up to the Indian to offer his support.

His putt caught the right edge of the cup and spun out, and he dropped his putter over his back in disbelief. Thongchai drove into the water and saved par, while Watson missed a 5-foot birdie putt.

“I have to give credit to Chris for making that putt”, Lahiri said. “And I wasn’t in the script”. He spoke with poise, exuding the kind of graciousness that already has made him popular with the PGA Tour players he will join next year in America.

Lahiri sat out the second and third sessions and worldwide Team Captain Nick Price was confident that the Indian pro would be better off in Fourball format. Hunter Mahan muffed a chip short of the green to end his last chance in Wales at the 2010 Ryder Cup. “Today is a day they will never forget, but I hope they use it in a positive way to take the next step”, said Price. I feel like we’re pretty good friends and I’ll always pull for him. I think he spent the majority of the day in bed yesterday. “I’m sure the rest of the team is going to help me out with that with the evening’s festivities”.

As disappointed as Lahiri was in the outcome, he was thrilled for Kirk.

The point that Kirk earned proved to be crucial as it was the difference between winning and tying the event. Bae holed a 10-foot putt on the 16th to halve the hole.

That result plus Bill Haas beating Sang-Moon Bae in the last hole of the match handed victory to the American’s by a single point. He crouched over that covered his face as his caddie, Matt Minister, placed a hand on Bae’s shoulder to console him.

“I didn’t feel I’m putting too bad… maybe just misreading it. Hopefully tomorrow will be a different story”. “We are going to cheer Anirban up”.