Greetings from this week's EDS Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.

Last week was my first time in New Orleans and it was one of the more cultural experiences my wife and I have had on the PGA Tour so far. We saw the sights and sounds of the famous French quarter, listened to some great jazz, ate a lot of really great food, and spent quite a bit of time observing the devastation that happened from Hurricane Katrina. It's been nearly two years, and it's amazing to see how the water wiped out the entire community.

Last Tuesday, my wife got together with some other PGA Tour wives and helped build a home in the New Orleans area through Habitat for Humanity. The group was a part of Harry Connick Jr.'s plan to build homes for musicians who lost their places in the devastation. She had a great time.

Golf-wise, I played the first few rounds of last week's tournament with Kyle Reifers, who was the leader in the clubhouse after the first round. The second round the TV cameras were out with our group and it was really cool to be in that situation where the cameras are on you for the entire 18 holes. I know it was a good thing for me to experience, and I'll be able to take those experiences with me when I'm in the lead of a PGA Tour event soon. I played fairly well last week but just didn't quite make enough birdies. I feel like my game is going in the right direction and I'm very encouraged about this week.

Now I'm at the Byron Nelson Championship. It's the first year the tournament has commenced without Byron, who passed away this year. Yet his memory is definitely living through this tournament. Apparently there was a tradition here where Byron always shook players' hands after everyone's round was over. It's unfortunate that I won't get to experience such a great event, but his legacy is well documented here and I'm very excited for the tournament to start.