Chris Kirk admitted that he had "hated" seeing Anirban Lahiri miss the short putt on the 18th green on Sunday that ultimately secured a sixth consecutive Presidents Cup for the US.

After four days of see-saw battles, 30 matches, and more than 5,000 golf shots, all that separated the US and International teams was three feet of lush turf at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.

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That was the length of putt that faced India's Lahiri, on debut, to secure half a point against Kirk. 

Lahiri struck it well, too well as it turned out. It rolled hard around the right rim of the cup and boomeranged out. Kirk had won the match.

A fraction softer and it would have dropped. A smidgen to the left and it would have disappeared. Fine margins indeed. 

"These things are scripted I guess, and I wasn't in the script this time," said a despondent Lahiri.

"I made a good stroke. But I did what I've done all week, misread putts. Went left to right. Spat it out."

Kirk didn't quite know what to do. 

"I just said sorry, basically," said the American. 

"I didn't really know what to say. You don't ever really want to win a match like that."

Instead of a 15-15 tie, the US went on to win 15.5-14.5, but no one was blaming Lahiri who "hit a great putt", according to his International team captain Nick Price.

"I said to Anirban that he may never have a putt that he'll be that nervous over, but he hit a great putt," said Price. 

"It was just a little unlucky. Probably 95 times out of 100, that putt would have gone in."

Kirk said he felt for his "good friend" Lahiri.

"Anirban is as nice and as classy of a guy as you'll see out on tour. I feel like we're pretty good friends and I'll always pull for him. I hated to see him miss that putt."