2011 Masters Preview: The Week's Most Intriguing Parings

For the first time in a long time, a group with Tiger Woods does not become must-see TV in April at Augusta National.

The 99-player field at the Masters leads off the 2011 majors, but only a handful of groups show potential for intriguing headlines.

Here are the top pairings you should watch on Thursday. 

Gold medal: 

A 2011 Masters winner might come out of group No. 6 with Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Nick Watney. 

Johnson could have won the 2010 U.S. Open and the PGA Championship if not for a Sunday blowup and a two-stroke penalty on the 72nd hole, respectively. 

Johnson has characteristics of a perennial PGA Tour superstar. If he contends for two more majors in 2011, it shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

Scott, in a way, was Johnson three years ago. Many golf analysts likened Scott to Tiger Woods because of his effortless power and potential. 

However, Scott had a David Duval-like breakdown and missed the cut in three out of four majors in 2009.

He rebounded in 2010, finishing as high at tied for 18th at the Masters, but it’s not his potential comeback that makes it interesting. 

Scott, who traditionally has struggled with his putting, will be donning a sternum putter instead of a traditional 35-inch blade.

The long putter might answer the only weakness of Scott’s game. 

Watney, in his own right, has improved his game to another level and recorded a career-best eight top-10 finishes in 2010. 

He played well in the Masters and the British Open last year with a seventh and tied seventh finish, respectively.

Not only that, his No. 1 birdie (4.80) and scoring average (68.92) for 2011 seems to show he is ready for a breakout year.

Silver medal:

Group No. 14 with Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar may represent the hottest three golfers in the last six months.

The world’s first, second and 10th ranked players, respectively, come into the 2011 PGA Tour season with higher expectations than ever. 

Kaymer, however, has never made the cut at the Masters. Westwood added another second-place finish at a major last year’s Masters. Kuchar has never replicated his 1998 Masters success as an amateur, either. 

All three are expected to do well, but all three have something to prove at Augusta National with their newfound world rankings. 

Bronze:

Group No. 14 with Padraig Harrington, Ryo Ishikawa and Bill Haas will quickly be every golf fan's sentimental favorite. 

Ishikawa said he would donate all 2011 earnings to Japan’s earthquake relief. For a cause like that, the Japanese native has become a player to watch, not as the next potential Asian golf superstar but because of this wonderful cause.

Harrington will look back at a time when he won back-to-back majors after Woods' departure in 2008. It has been headaches and poor performances since then, but "Paddy" still remains to be a candidate for a bounce-back year. 

Other close calls:

Group No. 27 with Fred Couples, Luke Donald and Steve Stricker represent a group of golfers that have consistently played well throughout their careers without flash. 

However, if you want to see golf played the right way without any mental mistakes, this is the group to follow.

Plus, is there a smoother tempo in golf than Couples' boom-boom swing? 

A grouping that I dubbed "The Future," Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day in group No. 10 represent a new crop of players that could replace the Wood-Mickelson era. 

None of these players will be favorites to win for a while, but that might change within the next four years. 

http://twitter.com/sHecKii