The second major of the 2014, the US Open, is set to begin on Thursday June 12 at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. The tournament may not carry its usual luster because of the absence of golf's biggest name, Tiger Woods, but there are still plenty of reasons to pay attention, and big names to follow, during the sport's biggest event of the summer.

Golf can be a tough sport to wager on simply because winning a tournament is such a difficult task. The favorites are not really favorites since they usually receive over +1000 odds, and casual bettors may only know a couple of names outside of Woods. However, since sports betting is all about finding an edge, looking for value and sometimes even taking a shot in the dark, here is a cheat sheet for betting this weekend's US Open.

The Big Names

Rory McIlroy: +1000

Phil Mickelson: +1300

Adam Scott: +1400

Bubba Watson: +2000

Just because Woods is out of the tournament does not mean there will be a shortage of big names and intriguing storylines to follow. McIlroy, who is the favorite to win the event, has been labeled as the heir apparent to Woods' throne as the face of the sport. The young pro won a couple of majors early in his career but he has since struggled with the pressure that comes along with being one of golf's biggest stars.

Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson are two of the sports biggest names and also have the biggest resumes to back up that distinction. Watson is coming off his second Masters win in three years, and Mickelson will be looking to win the fourth US Open title of his career. And we still haven't mentioned Adam Scott, the world's No. 1 ranked golfer, who recently surpassed Woods for that title and is coming off a tournament win and a fourth-place finish.

The New Kids on the Block

Jordan Spieth: +2000

Matt Kuchar: +2300

Jason Day: +2500

Justin Rose: +2500

Dustin Johnson: +3000

Spieth, Day and Johnson are the new young guns of the sport. Spieth, in particular, nearly won the 2014 Masters and was tied for the lead heading into the final round of the tournament. Of course, nerves and inexperience ended up getting the better of the young golfer, but that may not happen the next time he is in that position. Johnson has had the most Top-5 finishes of any player on the tour over the last two years, and Day came in second in last year's US Open and has three runner-up finishes in majors over the last three years.

Last five winners

2013: Justin Rose

2012: Webb Simpson

2011: Rory McIlroy

2010: Graeme McDowell

2009: Lucas Glover

Rose and McIlroy are the two recent winners that could earn a second US Open title. Unfortunately for Rose, there has not been a repeat US Open champion in 24 years. McIlroy is in better company, however, as there have been multiple US Open champions to win two titles in a four-year span.

Ways to Bet on the Event

If you are not a fan of wagering on a single player to win the entire tournament at such long shot odds, another way to bet the event is to wager on individual tournament matchups. Sportsbook.ag has a set of lines that pit certain players against each other. For example, a bettor could wager on McIlroy versus Adam Scott, and the winner would be the player who ends the tournament with the best score. Here are a few of the biggest individual tournament matchup lines.

Rory McIlroy: -125

Adam Scott: -105

Rory McIlroy: -165

Phil Mickelson: +135

Adam Scott: -150

Phil Mickelson: +120

Matt Kuchar: -140

Dustin Johnson: +110

Sportsbook.ag currently has over 50 individual tournament matchup lines, and pouring through them trying to find the best value may be an excellent way for bettor to make a profit on the US Open. Remember to bet wisely and may the ball roll in your favor this weekend.

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