North Augusta, S.C. ? Who says American women can’t play this game?

Rosie Jones shot a 6-under 66 Thursday, heading an Asahi Ryokuken International leaderboard full of U.S. players trying to break their country’s nine-month winning drought on the LPGA Tour. Jones was tied for the first-round lead with Sophie Gustafson of Sweden.

The last time an American walked off with a tour trophy was Meg Mallon at the Canadian Women’s Open last Aug. 18, a stretch of 17 events, the longest in LPGA history.

So where are the Americans? At Mount Vintage Plantation Golf Club, all you had to do was look out front.

Pat Hurst was third with a 67. Laura Diaz and Wendy Ward were tied with young Mexican star Lorena Ochoa and Italy’s Giulia Sergas at 68.

Dorothy Delasin, Beth Bader, Moira Dunn and qualifier Nicole Dalkas — playing her first event of the year — were in a group another stroke behind.

In all, 17 of the top 26 players in the opening round were Americans.

“I haven’t been winding down,” said Jones, 43. “I’m just getting ready.”

Se Ri Pak and Grace Park, two Korean stars second and third on the LPGA money list, were tied at 73. Money leader Annika Sorenstam is playing in Japan this week before taking on the guys at the PGA Tour’s Colonial tournament May 22-25.

Golfer Rosie Jones sinks a birdie putt on the seventh green during the first round of the Asahi Ryokuken International Championship. Jones shot a 66 Thursday and shares the first-round lead with Sophie Gustafson in North Augusta, S.C.

Diaz, a native of upstate New York with two victories last year, shook her head when asked about the streak.

“I don’t see it as being an issue in any other sport: our tennis players, our hockey players, our baseball players,” Diaz said. “I think that we’re very strong as a country out here.”

Still, she knows it won’t go away for good until an American wins.

“We’re all playing the best golf that we can,” Diaz said. “It’s just a matter of time before an American takes home the trophy.”

For the longest while, that leader looked to be Hurst. She had five straight birdies at one point and was 7 under playing her final hole, the par-5 ninth. But a downhill 12-footer for birdie slid by the right side of the cup and rolled about 30 feet past, with Hurst shouting “Stop” a couple of times.

Hurst’s par putt was 5 feet short, then she missed that one to take a double-bogey 7 and give up the lead.

Hurst said she didn’t want to comment on the difficult pin position.

“If you were standing out there, we don’t have to talk about it because you could see how bad it was,” she said.

Dixon leads in England

Sutton Coldfield, England — David Dixon shot a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke lead over Padraig Harrington after the first round of the Benson and Hedges International.

Defending champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Henrik Stenson of Sweden, the 2001 winner, had 68s on The Belfry’s Brabazon Course, site of the Ryder Cup matches in September.

Sorenstam on top in Tokyo

Tokyo — Annika Sorenstam shot a 6-under 66 in rough conditions and shared the lead after the first round of the Nichirei Cup with Japan’s Junko Yasui.