Hutchinson ? During a time of newfound patriotism, American golfers would like to see an American champion at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“It sure would be nice if an American would win this weekend,” said two-time champion Patty Sheehan. “It would be a great tribute to American golf and the American people.”

But as the major golf tournament begins today at Prairie Dunes Country Club, there are few Americans to be found among the favorites.

Juli Inkster, the 1999 champion, is the only American to win the Open in the last seven years, and many observers expect three other past champions  Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam (1995-96), Korea’s Se Ri Pak (1998) and Australia’s Karrie Webb (2000-2001)  to sit atop the leaderboard.

“I wouldn’t say that the American players haven’t, you know, played well,” said Sorenstam, the LPGA’s four-time player of the year. “Laura Diaz has won twice (this season). That’s more than Karrie has. Cristie Kerr won for the first time. She’s top 10. There are upcoming players. It seems like there might be a generation change where you’ve got a lot of young American players coming up. The veterans are still there, but I think it’s changing and, therefore, you probably don’t see them winning four or five times, but I think that will come.

“I don’t know why Karrie, Se Ri and I are playing better than the others now, but I work hard, set new goals and I don’t give up and keep working. I guess that’s what puts me where I am today.”

The Americans have had their chances. During the aforementioned seven-year stretch, Americans were Open runners-up six times.

Meg Mallon tied for second with Kerr in 2000, five strokes behind Webb at The Merit Club in Gurnee, Ill. Mallon, the 1991 champ, also was second to Sorenstam in 1995, falling one stroke short at Broadmoor Golf Course in Colorado Springs, Colo.

In 1996, it was Kris Tschetter’s turn to chase Sorenstam. She finished six strokes back at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Course in Southern Pines, N.C.

Nancy Lopez was one shot behind Brit Alison Nicholas in 1997 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains, Ore. It was the Hall of Famer’s fourth runner-up finish in the Open.

Amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn was second to Pak in 1998, losing in a playoff at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis.

It was a rare 1-2 American finish in 1999 with Inkster topping Sherri Turner at Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss.

Inkster had her own theory on the dominance of international players.

“I think American families have their kids in everything,” said Inkster, whose daughters take dance and play basketball but aren’t big golfers. “They do soccer, they do softball, basketball, swimming. I think the foreign players, they pick a sport and they do it, and they do it at and early age  whether it be golf, gymnastics, swimming. They don’t do everything.

“And which way is right or wrong? I have no idea. But that’s kind of the way I was raised. I played all sports. I just happened to get a job at the golf course, and that’s why I started playing golf.”