TV sports round-up: Open golf, All-Ireland semis, and tennis too

A hectic summer of sport intensifies in the next week, with soccer, tennis, golf, and GAA all taking turns on the TV stage.

The final golf major of the year, the British Open, begins on Thursday, with all the action shown live on Sky from early that morning.

This year’s event is at Royal Birkdale, a links course on England’s north-west coast, and Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and U.S defending champions Scottie Scheffler will all be in the frame.

Previous winners of the Claret Jug on the course include Jordan Spieth, in 2017, and Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington, in 2008.

Elsewhere on the sporting front, it’s the All-Ireland football championship semi-finals at Croke Park this weekend.

First up on Saturday, it’s Mayo v Louth at 6pm, as the men from the West aim to end that infamous hoodoo that has seen them lose 11 finals since their last win in 1951. Louth have just three All-Ireland wins to their name - the last in 1957 when they beat Cork in the final.

The second semi is between two heavyweights - Dublin and Kerry - on Sunday at 4pm. They have won 70 titles between them, with the Kingdom the current holders.

Both semi-finals are live in RTÉ2 and BBC.

You can also see the Tailteann Cup final between Down and Wicklow on RTÉ2 on Saturday at 3.30pm.

Meanwhile, after a fortnight of action, its the climax of the Wimbledon tennis championships this weekend, with the ladies’ final on Saturday and the men’s on Sunday. Follow every serve on the BBC.

The World Cup quarter-finals continue on Friday at 8pm, then on Saturday at 10pm, and at 2am on Sunday.

The semi-finals take place on Tuesday and Wednesday - all games are live on RTÉ2 and BBC/ITV.

You can also see Cork City in action in the second round of the men’s Club Orange FAI Cup against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium next Friday, July 17, at 8pm, live on RTÉ2.

All this, and live rugby too! Japan v Ireland in the Nations Championship is on Virgin Media 1 on Saturday at 11.10am.