Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick bid early farewells at the British Open

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Justin Rose could feel the warmth and adulation as he walked up the 18th hole Friday in the British Open. He just wishes he could have changed the day of the week.

Rose had left himself too big of a hole and didn't make nearly enough putts to make the cut at Royal Birkdale. He closed with a 2-under 68 — he shot 76 in the first round — and his exit was more ceremonial than it was a celebration.

“I was trying to get out of my own head at that point and just enjoy the glorious walk that an Open Championship 18th hole is,” Rose said.

He knows from experience, particularly at Royal Birkdale. It was in 1998 when Rose, the 17-year-old amateur, chipped in on the final hole to tie for fourth. He's not been able to capture that moment since then, but the adoring spectators sounded just as loud.

“I could feel that they wanted it for me,” Rose said. “I think up 18, it was just about the warm reception. Obviously, I think people often remember yesteryear, me walking up that hole at Birkdale, but I think it’s a lot of appreciation for the career I’ve had since then, and I just really wanted to enjoy it with them.”

English hopes were high for this British Open because of players like Rose, at No. 10 in the world, and Matt Fitzpatrick with three wins this year and rising to No. 3 in the world.

Fitzpatrick also missed the cut — his younger brother, Alex, goes into the weekend four shots behind — and the frustration was evident with every missed putt. He often gave a pronounced thumbs-up over his misses. Fitzpatrick chalked it up to the quirks and bounces of links golf.

“I’ve hit decent shots, gotten no luck and come away with 4-over par. That’s the way links golf is,” Fitzpatrick said. “You need to have that rub of the green sometimes, and I didn’t have it this week.”

Low scoring at Royal Birkdale — highlighted by the record-tying 62s by Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns — put the cut at 1-over 141. It was the second straight year that 1-over par made the cut (it was 143 at Royal Portrush, which plays to a par 71).

Jordan Spieth, who won at Royal Birkdale in 2017, made a pair of birdies early to raise hopes he would make it to the weekend. But then he three-putted from 4 feet on No. 7. He three-putted from 8 feet on No. 14. He made a 9 on the 17th hole. It added to a 77 and he finished at 10-over 150 to miss the cut by nine shots.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy (139) was the only major champion this year who will be around for the weekend. PGA champion Aaron Rai (142) and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (143) both missed the cut.

And then were was Harry Hall of England, who opened with a 77 and had a 68 that left him three shots outside the cut. He became the only player to miss the cut in all four majors this year.

There were some late heroics, with Min Woo Lee and Josele Ballester each making birdie on the 18th hole — the hardest on the course — to make the cut on the number.

“Just making cuts is not the big picture, but moments like that when you need to, I think that will help in the long run,” Lee said. “It would have been a bit of a bummer to pack my bags and go home. I'm excited for tomorrow. Hopefully we get good conditions in the morning and can put a low one there.”

Cameron Smith, who won the Open at St. Andrews in 2022 a few months before he bolted for LIV Golf, missed the cut in three of the four majors this year — he missed all four of them in 2025.

Smith even went to a mallet putter, a surprise move for someone reputed to be among the best. His problem was before he got to the green as he was unable to give himself a birdie look inside 20 feet on the entire back nine in his round of 69. He missed the cut by one shot.

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

Jose Luis Ballester of Spain plays a short on the 11th tee during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Min Woo Lee of Australia reacts after putting on the 18th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Matt Fitzpatrick of England reacts after playing from the rough on the 6th hole during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Justin Rose of England acknowledges the crowd after completing his second round on the 18th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Justin Rose acknowledges the crowd as he walks onto the 18th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. government plans to auction off massive sections of water surrounding American Samoa for potential deep-sea mining in an unprecedented move that is expected to draw criticism from many countries.

The area of the water surface planned to be auctioned off covers a total of 33 million acres (about 51,560 square miles).

The proposed leasing notice was published on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration seeks to expedite mining permits despite growing environmental concerns.

The unilateral U.S. move is also a departure from previous administrations that have respected the rules of the International Seabed Authority, a Jamaica-based U.N. body, which oversees deep international waters and has been debating mining rules for years.

More than 43 countries have called for a moratorium or ban on deep sea mining, which scientists have warned could unleash noise, light and suffocating dust storms and affect fragile marine life.

But the U.S. and others are eager to mine the seafloor for copper, iron, zinc and other minerals that are in demand for technology, military use and electric vehicles.

“Critical minerals have become a strategic asset in global competition, and China’s dominance in the supply of many of these materials creates unacceptable risks for America’s energy, defense and manufacturing sectors,” Matt Giacona, acting director of the U.S. Marine Minerals Administration, said in a statement Thursday.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the International Seabed Authority said it cannot comment as it has no jurisdiction over the area, which falls within the U.S. exclusive economic zone — meaning the U.S. has the sovereign authority to exploit and manage the waters and the seabed there.

Seumalu Elora Raymond, a spokesperson for Fa’asao Amerika Samoa, a community group, said in a statement that the U.S. government’s fast-tracking of the lease sale is “ignoring the voices of the very people whose waters, traditions, and livelihoods are on the line.”

“We will not stand by while an untested industry threatens to destroy American Samoa’s environment and cultural heritage for corporate profit,” she said.

The government of American Samoa, which has banned deep-sea mining in local waters, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Earthjustice, a nonprofit legal organization, accused the U.S. of bulldozing American Samoan outcry against deep-sea mining.

“The Trump administration continues to bow to this untested, extractive industry and seeks to make American Samoa one of the first test sites,” said Earthjustice attorney J.V. Langkilde.

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said in a July environmental assessment report that the area proposed for lease sales has water depths ranging from 4,600 to 20,000 feet (1,400 to 6,000 meters). The area is located 57 miles (92 kilometers) from the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

The bureau envisions issuing up to two commercial leases of nearly 17 million acres (67, 000 square kilometers) each, solely for preliminary activities. These would include geophysical surveys, biological sampling and oceanographic measurements.

“Offering large lease areas provides flexibility for environmental and technical exclusions,” the bureau said in its report.

It alternatively proposed issuing five leases covering nearly 7 million acres (26,800 square kilometers) each. The bureau noted that any future mining would require a submission and its approval of a plan subject to an environmental review.

The report of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management stated that “some uncertainty remains regarding the potential for indirect or accidental impacts, particularly in deepwater and pelagic zones” near Rose Atoll and several national marine sanctuaries.

It asserted that there are no expected impacts to nearshore environments and no substantial adverse impacts to offshore habitats. The bureau, however, acknowledged data gaps, especially in the area’s deeper waters, “where biodiversity, ecological function, and baseline conditions remain poorly characterized.”

The bureau stated in its report that because the U.S. has not ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration regulates U.S. exploration and commercial recovery of minerals.

NOAA announced in January that companies could apply for an exploration license and commercial operations at the same time, scrapping what used to be a two-step process. In April, Trump signed an executive order directing NOAA to expedite the permitting process for seafloor mining.

Meanwhile, the International Seabed Authority has authorized exploration licenses for 22 contractors, but it has not allowed any commercial mining.

Much of the ongoing exploration is centered in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 1.7 million square miles (4.5 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico. It is occurring at depths ranging from 13,000 to 19,000 feet (4,000 to 6,000 meters).

FILE - This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows polymetallic nodules in a sample from the seafloor that was collected on April 14, 2026, in U.S. waters off American Samoa. (USGS via AP, File)