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Jersey City - Anirban Lahiri's quest for Presidents Cup redemption got off to a rocky start on Friday as he and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel were thumped 6 & 5 by Americans Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell.
India's Lahiri, who sat out Thursday's foursomes matches at Liberty National Golf Club, hit his first drive in his fourball match into the water.
Hoffman won the hole with a par, and the United States never surrendered the lead from there.
Lahiri fluffed a bunker shot at the second hole, which he and Schwartzel conceded to the Americans.
After conceding, Lahiri took a practice shot from the bunker.
But while practice putts after a hole is completed are allowed at the Presidents Cup, such shots from a bunker are not and Lahiri was disqualified from playing the third hole.
Schwartzel managed to halve that one, but the International duo fell 3-down at the fourth and were 5-down through nine.
"I think it was just an oversight on his part," International team captain Nick Price said.
The Internationals finally won a hole at the 10th - where they both birdied, but Hoffman closed out the match with a birdie at 13.
It was a tough defeat for Lahiri, who had waited two years to take care of "unfinished business" at the Presidents Cup.
As a Cup rookie in South Korea two years ago, Lahiri was all-square with American Chris Kirk at the 18th hole of what proved a crucial singles match on Sunday.
Kirk made a 15-foot birdie putt and Lahiri missed his four-footer to halve the hole - and the Internationals went on to lose to the United States by one point.
This year, Lahiri was one of Price's two captain's picks, and Price said he believed the Indian was feeling the pressure.
"He's obviously trying to prove to all of us that his pick was worth it, and it's put a lot of pressure on him," Price said.
"I think today he showed that. He was very tight out there. He really wants to do well and you can see it in his attitude and the strain in his face. He's having a tough time a the moment, but he'll be better over the next two days I can assure you."
