​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.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLet’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.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTwo 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.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGetting 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.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“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,