When PGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem convened an economic forum in New Orleans on Monday morning, it was his way of taking a pro-active stance in helping in the recovery of the hurricane battered city.

From all reports, the forum was a success. Finchem said presentations from Governor Kathleen Blanco, Louisiana Congressman David Vitter and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin "hit the spot."

"It's our way of saying, 'We're here. We're meeting," he said. "It was very positive in terms of energy. This was all about trying to do our part."

The forum was held in conjunction with the Commissioner's Cup, an annual golf outing for the CEOs of the PGA TOUR's partnering corporations. Approximately 80 leaders from Fortune 500 companies and special guests were briefed on the Crescent City's future and various investment opportunities that will arise. The men and women also got a firsthand look at a city left in ruin in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent failure of several New Orleans levees which inundated approximately 80 percent of New Orleans in floodwaters for more than three weeks.

The forum provided a rousing kick off for Zurich Classic of New Orleans week in the Crescent City. Many of the world's best golfers will compete for $6 million in prize money at English Turn Golf and Country Club beginning Thursday. With CBS Sports and the USA Network offering the action, the tournament will the first major sporting event telecast from New Orleans since Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005.

Finchem said the PGA TOUR's cumulative audience over the course of the event's four days is second only to the NFL in terms of viewing numbers in the world of sports. What's more, he said, golf telecasts routinely attract "the decision makers of America" and in that way the message about New Orleans will be hitting home.

Rudolph Guiliani, the former mayor of New York City who shepherded the city through the 9/11 terrorists attack, was the featured speaker. Guiliani saw the New Orleans damage firsthand Sunday and drew comparisons between the Crescent City hurricane and the New York attacks saying people watching from afar have no idea of the devastation in each situation.

On New Orleans, he said: "It's much worse than you could ever realize, even if you watched it closely. It is so extensive. .. miles and miles and miles of devastation. It could break your spirit if you let it."

It is something, he said, that must be seen to be believed.

"That was the universal reaction when I took people to ground zero (in New York)," he said. "It was much worse than they ever imagined and much bigger than anyone can describe. The same goes for here."

The significance of the forum was not lost on Stephen Perry, the president of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Tourist Bureau. He called the gathering "one of the most powerful things that will happen in" in the city this spring.

"It illustrates that we can host their conventions, their corporate meetings and their regional meetings," Perry said. "This is an extraordinary effort by the commissioner and the PGA TOUR, and we are indebted to him."

New Orleans is presented with a unique challenge in that the city is in the midst of a massive recovery yet remains open for business as the majority of French Quarter and the Central Business District received only wind damage from the hurricane. It is up and running while many once-vibrant neighborhoods, as Vitter said, are "virtual ghost towns in many ways."

Nevertheless Guiliani offered words of encouragement for state and city officials as well as residents. He called New Orleans and Louisiana "critical parts of this country" that cannot be left behind.

"You're going to do this," he said of the recovery. "There isn't a choice and when New Orleans comes back it will be safer, better and stronger."

James J. Schiro, the CEO of tournament title sponsor Zurich Financial Services, had a simple answer when asked why the corporation never strayed from its commitment to the event.

"The big question was, should we abandon it or step up and do what's right," Schiro said. "It's our job to help people get back up. We wanted to help make a difference in one of the most important times in this city's history."