Graeme McDowell watched the final round of the Masters on TV and took notes

If there is ever a golf tournament that professionals hope to win, it’s the Masters. The problem with Augusta National, however, is it doesn’t always suit the game of certain professionals.

Lee Trevino famously had trouble with Augusta, winning each of the other three majors twice but only finishing in the top-10 at the Masters two times, and he isn’t the only one that struggles when it comes to the opening major of the year.

Enter Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, who has really had issues at Augusta National in his seven Masters starts. McDowell has missed the cut five times at the Masters, with a T-12 in 2012 being his best finish, and after missing the cut this season, decided to spend some time doing some Augusta National homework.

According to the Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson, McDowell watched the Sunday broadcast and took notes, hoping to help his chances of understanding the nuances that make Augusta National so tough.

“I watched the coverage on Sunday afternoon, taking notes about the way the balls react around the pin positions,” McDowell told the AP. “Like the eighth, for example, Fred Couples leaving the putt 15 feet short down to the corner. Jordan Spieth did the same thing — slowed down in the corner. That’s the little nuances you have to know about Augusta. I found myself taking notes on Sunday. Hopefully, I’ll need them over the next few years.”

It’s an interesting nugget that McDowell admitted, but something that happens more than you would think on the PGA Tour. If you were in the final group on a Sunday at the British Open, you don’t think you’d pull up the coverage at your hotel room and see how the early groups react to certain pin positions? I sure would, and I’m sure the pros do it when they have a long wait until they get on that first tee.

It also shows that McDowell really wants to be competitive at Augusta National. Being a professional golfer is a life that we all dream of having, and if you’re lucky enough to get there your focus has to shift to winning the most cherished of trophies.

McDowell gets that, and wants to spend as much time as possible figuring out this golf course if he wants to really compete for a Masters title at some point in his career.

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Shane Bacon is the editor of Devil Ball Golf and Busted Racquet on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shanebaconblogs@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter at @ShaneBacon!