By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

Europe's young golfers are considered the best for a generation - the finest bunch since Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam all came through to win 16 major titles between them.

Where they led others hope to follow and even if that quintet never did capture either the United States Open or US PGA championship there is nothing that the new band consider beyond them.

A total of 28 Europeans will be at the US PGA starting at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York, on Thursday.

The course is the one where Europe won the 1995 Ryder Cup - the only time they have won when trailing going into the singles.

But it is the future rather than the past that will occupy the minds of twentysomethings Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Alastair Forsyth, Brian Davis and Fredrik Jacobson.

And if ever they needed evidence that anything is possible - and possible now - then Ben Curtis's Open victory last month provided it.

The 26-year-old American was playing his very first major at Sandwich, but found the inspiration and then - when things got tough - the determination to pull off the most stunning major win in modern history. He was, remember, a US Tour rookie ranked 396th in the world.

Garcia and Rose are three years younger than Curtis, but both must now consider they have served their apprenticeships. If apprenticeships are things to be served any more in view of Curtis.

The Spaniard was second to Tiger Woods in his very first US PGA appearance four years ago, but that remains the closest he has come to a major so far.

Rose was fourth in the Open as a 17-year-old amateur and fifth on his US Open debut in June. His time may well come, but suddenly now seems a good time.

Donald and Casey are 25 and 26 respectively and came through the ranks together as stars of the 1999 Walker Cup-winning side.

The former won on the US Tour at the end of last season, the latter has won twice on the European circuit this year. They are past the stage, though, when they are content with being called "highly promising" - they want to achieve at the highest level and know they have the games to do it.

Jacobson, 28, made his presence felt in both the US Open and Open by finishing fifth and sixth.

He, like Donald, Forsyth, Davis, Bradley Dredge and Gary Evans will be making his debut in the PGA.

For Poulter it is a second chance in the event - and a chance to be known State-side for more than just the colour of his hair. Whatever it is this week.