Fleetwood rallies late but Rose falters as English contingent makes sluggish start at British Open

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — A hometown hero. The PGA champion. The world No. 3. And not to mention the enduring Justin Rose.

On paper, the English have put up a strong cast of contenders at Royal Birkdale this week in a bid to have a first British Open champion since 1992 and a first winner on English soil since Tony Jacklin in 1969.

Let's call it a sluggish start.

Matt Fitzpatrick? The guy who's only behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in the rankings was part of the afternoon wave which had to deal with a stronger wind and firmer fairways, and never looked happy in shooting a 2-over 72.

Rose? He birdied the first hole but wound up making seven bogeys and shot 75 to languish 135th in the field.

Aaron Rai, seeking a second major title of 2026 after the PGA Championship, shot 71.

And Tommy Fleetwood, the fans' favorite who grew up just round the corner, needed two birdies in his final four holes to salvage a 69 that looked better and better as the first round wore on.

Two members of England's 21-strong contingent were placed in the top 20 after 18 holes: Dan Brown, ranked No. 136, was tied for second place after a 66, and No. 78-ranked Jordan Smith shot 68 and was sharing 13th place.

Fleetwood is the Englishman most of the locals came to cheer on another gorgeous day along the Irish Sea and he said their support carried him at times.

“In all honesty, they definitely helped me a lot today throughout a day where I was struggling with my game,” he said. “They were absolutely amazing.”

David Howard was already incredibly nervous after arriving at the first tee at the British Open.

Getting the kind of ovation typically reserved for Rory McIlroy made it even worse.

“I had to give them a motion to quiet down. It was unbelievable,” said the Irish amateur, who — as someone who has cystic fibrosis — has provided one of the stories of this week at Royal Birkdale.

The 27-year-old Howard shot 4-over 74 in front of his friends and family, but his British Open debut was about much more than his score.

He is proving an inspiration to others with his rare genetic condition that has no cure and is managed by constantly taking medication and treatments.

Howard’s story is gone beyond his native Ireland.

“All around the world,” he said. “I definitely feel that support as well. I suppose people with CF have something to look forward to or look up to, and maybe that can drive them on as well.”

The next challenge for Howard is making the weekend. Given what he’s been through, don’t put it past him.

“People with CF are just very determined people — we’re not quitters,” he said. “We really want to get past this and keep fighting. Fighting for the struggle for so long, and I think we’re going to just keep fighting till the end.”

Henrik Stenson is on his way back to be part of the PGA Tour, and the Swede as usual had a unique way of describing his status.

“From the end of August, they remove my ankle bracelet,” Stenson said.

The 50-year-old Swede gave up the Ryder Cup captaincy in 2022 when he joined LIV Golf and was suspended from the PGA Tour. Stenson was relegated out of the lead last year, so his final event was toward the end of August.

The British Open is only his fourth competition this year, and it sure didn’t look that way. Stenson birdied three of the last four holes Thursday for a 68. It was his best opening round since a 68 at Royal Troon in 2016, when he famously beat Phil Mickelson and set the major championship scoring record at 264.

Stenson has played the Senior PGA Championship and tied for 11th earlier this month at the U.S. Senior Open, neither event run by the PGA Tour. He also played an event in Barbados on the Legends Tour, the European version of the senior circuit.

He has some catching up to do. Stenson was in Sweden for the summer with his son, Karl, who is playing competitively. He has the Senior British Open next week, and might play a European tour event in August before competing on the PGA Tour Champions in the fall.

Jackson Suber earned a spot in the British Open with his tie for fourth in the RBC Canadian Open. This not only is his debut on links golf, he has never been to Europe before.

And even without the 65 to take the lead after one round, he's loving the experience.

“The golf is really cool, and just the towns, how the train system works,” said Suber, who grew up in Tampa, Florida, and played at Ole Miss. “We went into Liverpool the other day with my fiancée and Pierceson Coody and his wife, so that was really cool to see a European city and enjoy that.”

But there's one aspect to the UK he won't try. Suber is letting someone else do the driving on the opposite side of the road he drives in the U.S. Why not drive?

“Because I'm trying to make it here four days,” he said.

Padraig Harrington, who is playing the seventh of eight weeks in a row among the PGA Tour, European tour and PGA Tour Champions, opened with an 80. ... Jordan Spieth, who won at Royal Birkdale the last time the Open was here in 2017, had only one birdie in his round of 73. ... Harry Hall opened with a 77 and barring an amazing turnaround Friday is headed toward missing the cut in all four majors this year.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Aaron Rai of England plays out of a bunker not he 110th hole during the first day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Matt Fitzpatrick of England prepares to play from the rough on the 2nd hole during the first day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Justin Rose of England plays off the 4th tee during the first day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Tommy Fleetwood of England plays out of a bunker on the 4th green during the first day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Catastrophic flash floods in Texas have killed two people and forced hundreds of rescues in areas still reeling from devastating floods a year ago, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott said Thursday.

Rescuers aboard boats and helicopters have saved more than 200 people, including stranded drivers and people trapped in homes, Abbott said.

The governor said the hardest-hit areas are expecting more rain and are not out of danger yet.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Rescuers aboard boats and helicopters saved dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes from catastrophic flash floods in Texas in areas still reeling from devastating floods a year ago.

At least one person was dead, Gov. Greg Abbott said, adding that it appeared many of the summer camps hit hard last year were not in danger. “Our No. 1 focus is saving lives,” he said.

After days of pounding rain, the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave” barreled down the same river wrecked by flash floods last summer when two dozen children and counselors were killed at Camp Mystic.

Much like last year, the floods came in the middle of the night. But this time some residents in the Texas Hill Country said they received more warnings.

Forecasters urgently warned, “Move to higher ground now!” as rivers rose hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Some spots of the Guadalupe River rose by more than 30 feet (9 meters).

The governor said more than 1,300 first responders were deployed.

As much as 28 inches (74 centimeters) of rain fell over the past three days in Uvalde County, which was spared from the worst flooding a year ago, the weather service said Thursday. Other areas saw roughly a foot of rain with more expected going into Friday.

“This is hopefully the last real batch of rain,” said Jason Runyen, a meteorologist with the weather service.

While authorities have not released the name of the person who died, Jennie Steward said the body of her husband, 65-year-old John Mark Steward, of Kerrville, was found Thursday.

She was visiting her parents when a neighbor called overnight, saying her husband was missing after water had risen to the door of their mobile home, which stood about 8 feet (2.4 meters) off the ground.

The entire home was swept off the platform and floated down Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River, she said.

“It’s really hard that I wasn’t there with him,” she said. The two were married three years ago and last spoke by phone Wednesday to celebrate their anniversary.

The unfolding crisis brought back haunting memories of last summer's unimaginable Hill Country floods that killed more than 100 people over the July Fourth holiday.

“It’s crazy happening two times in one year,” said Josiah Rodriguez, who awoke to the sound of heavy rain around 2 a.m. Thursday in Kerrville. He navigated flooded roads to help evacuate relatives.

“Last year there was no warning of it,” he said. “It just kind of happened overnight and it took everyone by surprise. This year, a lot more alerts have gone into place, a lot more safety measures.”

Residents said they were caught off guard a year ago and didn’t receive any warning when floods overtopped the Guadalupe. Some local leaders were criticized for not acting quickly.

The storms and flooding this time threatened multiple counties close to the Mexico border and in the Hill Country near San Antonio. Roughly six million residents across Texas were under a flood watch this week, and some were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening.

Several agencies sent rescue helicopters to the flood zone, including Travis County in the state capital of Austin.

“My understanding is people were mostly trapped in trees and on rooftops,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown, who said one caller warned 10 people were trapped on a barn roof.

At a wild animal rescue, Katie Buck evacuated several dozen animals to higher ground in the dark Thursday as the normally dry Lazy Creek overflowed. She had to quickly grab a porcupine despite having no gloves.

She got all of the animals to safety, but flooding destroyed several enclosures at the Buck Wild Animal Rescue and Wildlife Rehab near Ingram in Kerr County.

“We were just starting to get back on our feet again,” Buck said. “To have to go through this again is just devastating.”

Residents at an RV park in Comfort moved their trailers as sirens sounded, said manager Duke Earwood.

Water rose over the hoods of vehicles parked near the river at the Comfort RV Resort. Markers showed the flooding already matched last July's big flood.

“Too familiar for sure, and too soon,” Earwood said.

Floodwaters also overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off most outside routes. The Leona River, normally dry most of the year, filled streets with water.

“People really can’t get anywhere,” said Carmen Rodriguez, who nervously watched water engulf her neighborhood as a helicopter roared overhead. “We have a place to go, but all the streets are closed.”

Rodriguez said authorities seemed to be well prepared, ordering mandatory evacuations and notifying people directly.

Texas Game Wardens rescued close to 150 people by the afternoon, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson. Video released by the agency showed crews hoisting children from a house surrounded with water into a helicopter.

So far, the heavily swollen Guadalupe has remained below the record levels reached in 2025. Gauges showed it rose by more than 30 feet (9 meters) in some spots over just a few hours.

Close to Camp Mystic, which hasn't reopened since last year's tragedy, the Guadalupe near Hunt reached about 20.5 feet (6.3 meters), which is enough to cause flooding, according to U.S. Geological Survey and National Water Prediction Service data.

In Kerr County, where summer camps dot the river's shores, the sheriff’s office said all campers were safe. Several camps said the children were staying inside, with one camp reporting normal flooding.

While the water didn’t rise as high as a year ago in Ingram, Mayor Claud Jordan believes this round of flooding was more widespread in his city. “The rural part of Ingram, all the roads are just trashed,” he said.

“There are a bunch of businesses that haven’t reopened from last year,” Jordan said. “This doesn’t help.”

The Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow river basins.

Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press writers Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Michael Phillis in Washington; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Anna Wilder in Austin, Texas; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

A property's gate featuring cattle is partially submerged with flood waters along State Highway 27 in Comfort, Texas, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

A first responder vehicle is parked as flooding moves along the Guadalupe River on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Comfort, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

A helicopter flies over the Guadalupe River as floods pass through the area on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

Flooding blocks off G Street along the Guadalupe River on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

Mike Erulenfeld and Kala Martin walks back to his truck after watching as the Pedernales River floods near Old Kerr Highway on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

The Pedernales River floods along State Highway 16 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

Mike Erulenfeld and Kala Martin watch as the Pedernales River floods near Old Kerr Highway on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

The Pedernales River floods underneath State Highway 87 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

A small fish is stranded on a sidewalk after flood waters subsided on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Reece Noble, left, and Gavyn Steffek, photograph a tortoise they found in flood waters on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Members of the Boerne Fire Dept. rescue a woman from flood waters on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

A flood-damaged car hangs from a fence on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Members of the Boerne Fire Dept. prepare to perform a water rescue on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)