COLIN MONTGOMERIE wants a Ryder Cup team that is totally fearless – and he does not mind how young they are.

Qualifying for next year’s match in Wales starts in two weeks, and Montgomerie’s confidence has just been given a huge boost.

Europe’s captain, now in The Netherlands for the Dutch Open which starts today, had predicted that “four or five” possible members of his side would finish in the top-10 at the US PGA Championship on Sunday.

As it was, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood shared third place, Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson and Soren Kjeldsen were joint sixth and Pádraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Francesco Molinari tied for 10th.

“I think that’s our best ever performance in an American major and that should help us to go on and have more major champions,” said the Scot.

McIlroy is 20 and new Race to Dubai leader Kaymer is 24, while Montgomerie has also been impressed by 26-year-old Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, now firmly established as the biggest hitter on either the European or US tours.

“The potential is there to emulate the top five we had (Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam).

“I was never in that league. I had doubts they don’t seem to have. There is no fear.

“I remember in 1999 that Sergio Garcia (19 at the time) was fearless going into the Ryder Cup, and if McIlroy, Kaymer and Quiros make the team I envisage the same thing. I want a team that not in any way, shape or form has any fear of the Americans.”

Montgomerie looks forward to seeing how they react to the pressure of playing for cup points, but this week has his focus firmly on trying to re-ignite his own career.

With no members of the world’s top-50 at Kennemer this is a real chance to end his barren spell when he has gone nearly 14 months without a top-10.

Darren Clarke, another without a top-10 finish this season and another who crashed out after two rounds last week, is this week’s defending champion.

He is joined by eight compatriots: Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Jonathan Caldwell, Paul McGinley, Shane Lowry, Gareth Maybin, Michael Hoey, Gary Murphy.

Also in the field is Jose Maria Olazabal, although he is not expecting great things after suffering a recurrence of rheumatic pains in his shoulder, back and leg.

Meanwhile, European Tour chief executive George O’Grady has not ruled out cutting the prize fund for the Race to Dubai and the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

O’Grady said he would visit Dubai next month to discuss the Tour’s agreement with sponsors Nakheel.