DAYTON - The Presidents Cup may have marked the official end to the 2013 golfing calendar, but already 2014's programme is ready to get underway, as the final spots on the 2014 European Tour will be decided.

Now in its seventh year, the Portugal Masters stands out as one of the early highlights of the new season, attracting top-class competitors from around the globe.

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Some of the biggest names on the European Tour are set to descend on the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura with recent heroes of the Ryder Cup and Seve Trophy lining up to complete a truly world-class field.

The action begins at 8 a.m. (BST) on Thursday October 10th with the first group to tee off featuring Richard Green, Dawie van der Walt and Seve Benson.

For a full list of the entrants and tee times on Day 1, visit the official European Tour website.

A curated list of the key tee times and players to watch can be found below.

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Portugal Masters 2013: Key Tee Times on Day 1

Tee Time (BST)	Tee	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
8:20	10	Ricardo Santos	Shane Lowry	Jose Maria Olazabal
8:30	10	Nicolas Colsaerts	Francesco Molinari	Joost Luiten
8:40	10	Tommy Fleetwood	Stephen Gallacher	Jamie Donaldson
12:30	1	Felipe Aguilar	Robert Rock	Tom Lewis
12:30	10	Antonio Rosado	Paul Waring	Hennie Otto
12:50	1	Martin Kaymer	Thomas Bjorn	Matteo Manassero
13:00	1	Paul Laurie	David Howell	Miguel Angel Jimenez
13:10	1	Ross Fisher	Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano	Bernd Weisberger

EuropeanTour.com

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Key Tee Times and Players to Watch

Of the 42 tee times on Day 1 of the 2013 Portugal Masters, four stick out immediately as the potential picks of the day based on the quality of the trios involved.

Another four are notable due to a single golfer's presence for that particular slot on the roster.

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Key Tee Time Highlight One

Starting off with the earliest of the highlighted tee times, and at 8:20 a.m. Ricardo Santos, Shane Lowry and Europe's victorious Ryder Cup and Seve Trophy-winning captain Jose Maria Olazabal will set off around the course from tee  No. 10.

Home favourite Santos is back competing on his local 18 holes, with the Portuguese's residence just two minutes away from the course. Currently ranked 55th in the Race to Dubai standings, with a bit of luck he may be able to ride his home advantage in the latter stages of the competition.

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Leading off from tee No. 10 alongside the local star is Lowry, the defending champion who has been tipped to make a big impact again this year. A strong end to the previous season saw the Irishman equal the course record of a round of 64 at Carnoustie in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in September.

Olazabal may not be one of the favourites to challenge for the title, but as one of the most respected and celebrated personalities on the European Tour, his presence will as ever add a touch of reverence to the tournament.

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Key Tee Time Highlight Two

The man who saw Europe to victory in the final singles match of the Ryder Cup and Seve Trophy, Francesco Molinari, starts his Portugal Masters campaign at 8:30 a.m. from tee No. 10, with fellow Seve teammates Nicolas Colsaerts and Joost Luiten.

Having conquered Tiger Woods at Medinah in 2012 and finished off Great Britain and Ireland's Simon Khan earlier this month at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, Molinari will now be looking for individual glory.

Colsaerts, last year's Volvo World Match Play Championship winner, will be hot on the Italian's tail, however along with 2013 KLM Open champion Luiten.

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Key Tee Time Highlight Three

Just 10 minutes later at 8:40 a.m., beaten Seve Trophy teammates Tommy Fleetwood, Stephen Gallacher and Jamie Donaldson will also set off from tee No. 10.

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Having put in some good team and individual performances for Great Britain and Ireland earlier in October, the trio will now look to pit their considerable wits against each other with all three able to compete at this year's Masters.

With wins in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles for Fleetwood, a triumph for Gallacher in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and a victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship for Donaldson under each of their respective belts already in 2013, the trio may feel that they each have a real chance to take the top prize in the Algarve. 

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Key Tee Time Highlight Four

Later in the day, 2013's tournament favourite Martin Kaymer will start from tee No. 1 at 12:50 p.m. alongside Thomas Bjorn and Matteo Manassero.

Former world No. 1 Kaymer is odds-on favorite to claim this year's title with the German's imposing form convincing the bookkeepers early on. Denmark's Bjorn claimed his first title for two years in September when he secured a major European Masters play-off victory against Craig Lee in Switzerland. He should prove to be a stern test for any of the players gathering in Portugal.

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

At just 20 years of age, BMW PGA Championship winner Manassero is the youngest-ever golfer to win a European Tour event and will look to build on his success in May with a strong showing. He'll need to hit the green running against such high-calibre partners in the opening round.

Players to Watch

Links specialist Tom Lewis tees off at 12:30 p.m. from tee No. 1 alongside Felipe Aguilar and Robert Rock. Having finished third behind Lowry at Dunhill, the Englishman has a shot at repeating his feat of winning the Portugal Masters in 2011.

South African Hennie Otto also starts his Portugal Masters run at 12:30 p.m., but from tee No. 10. He will be joined by Antonio Rosado and Paul Waring, but will be hoping to leave both his partners behind as he tries to make headway at the start of the new season after a decent finale to the 2013 calendar.

Veteran Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez tees off at 1:00 p.m. from tee No. 1 on Day 1 with Paul Lawrie and 2013 Dunhill Links winner David Howell. Both Jimenez and Howell will be dangerous names to anyone on the roster.

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Last but not least, England's Ross Fisher starts alongside Seve Trophy winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Austrian Bernd Weisberger at 1:10 p.m. from tee No. 1. Coming in at third in 2008 and second in 2012 in previous Portugal Masters competitions, Fisher will be hoping to make the step up this year to grab the title as one of the true dark-horse candidates in the field.

BleacherReport

Phil Mickelson's wife, Amy, came through when Lindsey Vonn needed help at the Presidents Cup.

Vonn's golf cart was stuck, so Mickelson helped push it up the hill. After all, they are on the same team this weekend.

Yet another fan decided to take his or her clothes off at a sporting event. This time, it happened at the Presidents Cup.

Below is a censored picture of the woman, but Alex Myers of Golf Digest tweeted a NSFW picture.

There's really not much to say other than this photo taken by PGA Tour/Getty Images photographer Chris Condon is fantastic. Condon caught Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jason Dufner in a candid moment backstage during the opening ceremony of the Presidents Cup. Very cool. 

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Mark Crossfield reviews the Callaway XHot 3Deep Fairway Wood that Phil Mickelson won the Open With! Enjoy!

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Jack Nicklaus remains confident Tiger Woods will surpass his mark of 18 major titles despite facing a level of competition the Golden Bear says as good as any that's ever been in golf.

Nicklaus was in Charleston for the opening of a pizza restaurant, in which he and son Gary are investors. Nicklaus said he's never wavered from believing the 37-year-old Woods will eventually pull out of his majors drought - he hasn't won one since the 2008 U.S. Open - and win the five titles necessary to move past Nicklaus.

PHOTOS: Most Career PGA Tour Victories

These days, Woods "has as many good players as we've ever had in the game," Nicklaus said.

With recent major champions like Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson playing top-level golf, the chances of one player dominating several majors in a short time as Woods did at times in achieving his 14 titles becomes less likely, Nicklaus said.

Still, Nicklaus doesn't waste much time worrying about holding on to his achievement.

"If you look at it realistically, Tigers' probably got another 10 years of top golf," Nicklaus said. "That's 40 majors. Can he win five of them? I think he probably will."

Nicklaus went through several major droughts in his career.

He didn't win for more than three years between the 1967 U.S. Open and his next title at the 1970 British Open. He went through a similar stretch after his win at the 1975 PGA Championship, not winning major No. 15 until the 1978 British Open.

Of course, Nicklaus' longest major-less run was a nearly six-year period until his dramatic final title at the 1986 Masters when he was 46 years old.

Nicklaus said one major difference between his run and Woods' chase is the national attention. Nicklaus didn't even consider the historic context of his run until 1970 when a golf writer mentioned he had just won No. 10 - and the fourth of his six green jackets - at the 1972 Masters and trailed then-leader Bobby Jones by three.

"I never worried about it," Nicklaus said. "I wasn't thinking about records at the time."

Woods' goal was crystal clear from the time he began and has been a focus of media and fans. His drought is one of golf's most captivating stories and something he won't escape until he breaks through again, Nicklaus said.

"Each time you don't win, obviously, makes it harder," Nicklaus said.

These days, the 73-year-old Nicklaus spends most of his recreation time on the tennis court instead of the golf course. He said tennis is everything that golf is not for the casual player - quick, inexpensive and easy to learn.

Nicklaus said golf is losing patrons because it takes too long to play, is difficult to pick up and can be costly.

"We're losing people and need to find a way to stop that," he said.

Besides, Nicklaus needs the free time to keep up with his 22 grandchildren, who seem to have an athletic event for him to attend nearly every day. His grandson, Nick O'Leary, is tight end for No. 8 Florida State tight and he caught three touchdowns in the Seminoles' season-opening, 41-13, victory at Pittsburgh earlier this month. Nicklaus said he attends all the Florida State games and expects to be back in South Carolina next month then the Seminoles play at No. 3 Clemson on Oct. 19.

Nicklaus said on his last visit to his college Ohio State, he spoke with Buckeyes football coach Urban Meyer and told him he'd already gotten tickets to the BCS title game in Pasadena, Calif., next January.

When Meyer protested about jinxing Ohio State's title run, Nicklaus joked, "Urban, I bought the tickets for Florida State. I hope you get there,"' he said. "He got a big kick out of that."

Should the Seminoles and Buckeyes meet in the Rose Bowl, there won't be any split loyalties.

"I'll root for my grandson," Nicklaus said.

Read more: http://www.golf.com/ap-news/nicklaus-confident-woods-will-break-majors-mark#ixzz2faMNSvbF

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