The widely-held perception that there were no young US players with the required drive and hunger following in the considerable wake left by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk was just that - a perception, and no more.

Instead, 27-year-old Howell was the reality, and the future of the game in the Land of the Free was safe.

"I think all the talk is ridiculous, " said Howell when asked about the dearth of quality twentysomethings in his home country. "I don't understand it to be honest with you.

I don't even want to comment on it. I think American golf under 30 is fine."

Howell wouldn't have been overly impressed then with Ryder Cup captain, Paul Azinger's comment that a 16year-old amateur by the name of Tadd Fujikawa was probably the best American player under the age of 30.

Admittedly, the remark was made in January before Howell's success at the Nissan when Fujikawa was innocently putting together a couple of rounds of 66 at the Sony Open, but there was no mistaking Azinger's drift. The next generation of USA players was hardly coming on strong.

And instead of putting Azinger in his box, Howell's win has only succeeded in further highlighting a breakdown in America's once welloiled production line.

Not alone are there a mere 15 US players ranked in the world's top 50, but of the 10 players in their 20s in that elite group, only one, Howell, is American. The next wave on the PGA Tour is currently dominated by the likes of Geoff Oglivy, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Trevor Immelman and Paul Casey, all in their 20s, and all riding high in the world rankings.

"There hasn't been the progression after Tiger that you might have thought, " says Colin Montgomerie. "More than ever, international players are coming through."

Alongside the inexorable rise of the young, ambitious international player, the PGA Tour is now also populated by older players whose pension funds have been boosted by the rich pickings generated by the combination of Woods's brilliance and popularity. Only 10 events into the current season, and John Rollins - who? - has already banked close to $1.5m without winning a tournament.

Equally, the fact that Paul Goydos (42), Vijay Singh (44) and even Fred Funk at 50 have managed to win tournaments this year speaks for itself.

Before the Ryder Cup at the K Club, Tom Lehman had suggested that a newer American guard might catch the eye and even though JJ Henry, Zach Johnson, Vaughn Taylor and Brett Wetterich were all in their early 30s, there was an outside chance that a rising star could emerge.

In the end, after the USA had suffered yet another crushing defeat, Woods took off his cap, rubbed his forehead, and pondered the age factor: "When the youngest player on our team is 30, that's not a positive thing. They have Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey in their 20s, and we don't have anybody."

At the moment, Ben Curtis, Jonathan Byrd and Howell are the only US players in their 20s with more than one PGA Tour win to their names, while Curtis's victory at the 2003 British Open was the last major success by a twentysomething American.

"I just think the rest of the world has gotten that much better, " says the 29- year-old from Ohio who has struggled to build on his shock result at Royal St George's. "I think they put their focus not just on the European Tour and the Asian Tour, their dream is to come over here and play. I think that's made it tougher for us Americans because the PGA Tour is the number-one tour in the world."

To compound the vacuum inadvertently created by Woods, a tie for ninth place at the USPGA Championship by Ryan Moore was the only top-10 finish by an American in his 20s during last year's majors.

Significantly, the once lauded US college system which has produced countless leading players is now regarded in some circles as part of the problem. According to David Toms, the somewhat cosseted atmosphere of amateur college golf is no longer an adequate preparation for the more hardened world of the professional game.

"The international players are turning pro when a lot of our players are just entering college. Our young players are playing against other college players for four or five years, and then playing mini tours to try and earn their way out. A lot of the foreign players, they jump into pro golf straight away. They're playing all over the world when they're still young. They're more seasoned, they know how it works, more so than the young American player."

Donald, who won the NCAA individual title when he was at Northwestern University in Chicago, is less circumspect about the college system which, he says, "helped me to get to where I am", but he agrees that the younger American players are finding it increasingly difficult to break through. "I'm not sure why, maybe it's expectation."

Meanwhile, in the current issue of Golf Digestmagazine, Woods's coach, Hank Haney, comes out firmly against the traditional emphasis on the college system as a breeding ground. He sees Australia's sports institutes, the national programmes in Sweden and Britain, and the private academies in Florida as the way forward for the best young players.

"Most college golf coaches in America are dedicated and well-meaning, " Haney adds, "but they and their staff can't compete with top instructors, sports psychologists and physical trainers. The best young foreign players are turning pro earlier and with better preparation than our college players."

As for Lanny Wadkins, a former US Ryder Cup captain and major winner, the current situation is stark.

"The strategy for developing young players is not working, " he says.

While America waits for Lucas Glover, Sean O'Hair, JB Holmes, Bubba Watson and Moore to deliver, the PGA Tour is becoming less and less a playground for young Americans. With Woods now aged 31 and expecting his first child, brash, emerging talent is confined to the ranks of the international players.

Recently, Jack Nicklaus wondered how, with a population of nearly 300m people, America was struggling to produce a new generation of top-quality players. He didn't need to be reminded that China, currently experiencing a golf boom, has a population of 1.3 billion.

If, in 20 years time, the US discovers a way of unearthing another Tiger Woods, it will probably be too late anyway.

TROUBLE IN AMERICA: WHERE ARE ALL THE YOUNG DUDES?

?? Of the 10 players in their 20s currently in the world's top 50, only one, Charles Howell, is American Rank Player Age 4 Adam Scott (Aus) 26 7 Geoff Oglivy (Aus) 29 10 Luke Donald (Eng) 29 11 Trevor Immelman (RSA) 27 13 Sergio Garcia (Sp) 27 14 Paul Casey (Eng) 29 15 Charles Howell (USA) 27 32 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 25 34 Justin Rose (Eng) 26 43 Carl Pettersson (Swe) 29 ?? The last American to win a major championship in his 20s was Ben Curtis who was 26 when he pulled off a shock British Open victory at Royal St George's in 2003 ?? In last year's majors, Ryan Moore's tie for ninth place at the USPGA Championship was the only top-10 finish by an American in his 20s