On the surface, the storylines about betting on the 2008 U.S. Open are pretty simple; who do you bet to win besides Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods? In theory, it appears those are the only two choices, nevertheless, each have obstacles that could prevent them from winning another major championship, adding an area of intrigue.

Tiger Woods shutdown after the Masters, to have knee surgery and has not played a competitive round of golf since. Most presumed he would have played at the Memorial two weeks ago, because of his warm admiration for Jack Nicklaus and the fact he had won there several times. When he didn’t make it, this sounded an alarm his knee might not be ready. Of course nobody but those within Tiger’s inner circle actually knows about his knee, but it raises a cloud of doubt about playing four days under U.S. Open conditions, especially the torque it places on any golfer’s body hitting out of Open rough. Sportsbook.com has Woods listed at 5-2 odds, since Tiger has won the Buick Open in San Diego six times.

Phil Mickelson was born in San Diego and has three Buick Open titles at Torrey Pines himself. The lefty’s spectacular triumphs and failures have been well-documented, but a balky putting stroke has improved lately, enhancing his chances of winning. He’s a 5-1 wager to keep his wits about him for 72 holes.

Good luck trying to find a winner from the rest of the field. Sergio Garcia won The Players Championship and is in good form, being a 15-1 choice. Known quantities Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk are 25-1, yet what about their game presently suggests they will rise to the top?

The U.S. Open has become a closed event unless you can bomb it off the tee. This event was always a test of nerves, keeping composure four days, 18 holes at a time. In the past, average drivers, with superior ball-striking skills could win. Not today, as long hitters like Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera have walked away with the trophy the last two years. Though Tiger has not won this event since 2002, the fact remains, by lengthening the courses, the USGA has enhanced his chances of winning, because the rest of the field is hitting rescue clubs into long par four’s, with bombers hitting middle to shorter irons.

U.S. Open rough is meddlesome for guys not long out of the tee box, costing them vast amounts of yards hitting out of ankle-covering thick grass. The big hitters are much further down the fairway, even if they hit the ball in the thick stuff, and have the strength to negotiate it better. Though Torrey Pines is next to the Pacific Ocean, allowing the grass to be naturally thicker, possibly the rules committee wants to give more players a chance, with the thickest cut measuring around 3.5 inches, compared to usual five or six.

For viewers watching this tournament at "America's Finest City", you might be surprised to see what the locals “June Gloom”. This time of year, clouds build along the ocean shoreline over night and need the sun to burn them off. Because of lighter winds this time of year, this doesn’t always occur, meaning more clouds and more somewhat less favorable conditions for earlier tee times.

Holes to watch for on the back nine are #12, a par four, which has been modified to be a “bogie machine” or worse. If the marine layer hangs around, it will take two superb shots just to place the ball on the green. The 15th hole will among the tightest on the golf course and at 487 yards for par four, places a premium on accuracy off the tee. This more than any other hole on the course has traditional U.S. Open feel. Give credit to the redesign team led by Rees Jones, adding a new back tee to #18, changing the hole to par five with 75 additional yards. This will bring risk/reward aspect into closing hole each day, adding drama. If the pin is placed front-left, this becomes quite treacherous.

A few head-to-head matchups to consider, include Boo Weekly (-110) over Anthony Kim, Stewart Cink (Pick) over Ernie Els and Stuart Appleby (-125) over Zach Johnson. Els seems to be totally spooked in any event Woods plays in, thus playing against him appears wise in any matchup and Masters champ Trevor Immelman did finish second last week’s at St. Jude’s, however has missed six cuts in 12 starts, suggesting he to is Play Against wager.

ESPN has the Thursday; Friday coverage and NBC will cover the weekend, mostly in primetime due to West Coast daylight savings time.