THE NEW South Africa, where international sporting success has quickly become a way of life, extended a particularly warm, VIP welcome when our party of overseas scribes arrived here yesterday. And we soon realised that the hospitality had to do with more than the staging of the 42nd World Cup of Golf at Erinvale, starting on Thursday.

Indeed there was no mistaking the message on the roadside advertising hoardings. On one, Bishop Tutu declared himself a "Proud Supporter of the Cape Town 2004 Bid" (for the Olympic Games). Further along, a small black boy assured us: "If Cape Town wins, we all win."

And as a reflection of the sporting mood of the nation, golfing hero, Ernie Els, declared: "The Boks won the Rugby World Cup and Bafana Bafana the African Nations Cup. Now it's our turn to produce the goods." That was his way of pledging a determined effort by himself and Wayne Westner to bring the World, Cup to South Africa for a third time.

He added: "Playing in front of our home crowds is to our advantage. Wayne is playing well and I'm happy with my game. I reckon we have a big chance."

This is the first staging of the tournament on the African continent and in a line up of 32 nations, Ireland will be represented by Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington. The acknowledged favourites are the US, winners for the last four years and represented by the formidable partnership of British Open champion Tom Lehman and US Open champion Steve Jones.

Meanwhile, one gets the impression that the good people of Cape Town are viewing this golfing clash as a modest, trial run for the really big prize, eight years hence. They want the Olympics and are convinced they will be in the final shake up when the decision is made by the IOC next autumn. It's the way winners think.

Appropriately, it was Els who led South Africa's return to the World Cup with De Wet Basson as his partner at La Moraleja, Spain, in 1992. It was the country's first participation in the event since 1980 when Tienie Britz and Bobby Verway finished fifth behind Canada in Bogota.

Then there was the diplomatic flare up of 1981 when the organisers failed in their attempt at bringing the event to Waterville after the Irish Government formally objected to the participation of South Africa. It meant there was no staging that year.

Erinvale, a parkland stretch about 30 miles inland from the city, was designed by Gary Player, who partnered Harold Henning to victory in the World Cup of 1966. Their other success, in 1974, was achieved by Dale Hayes and Bobby Cole.

"I consider it to be an important event on the golfing calendar," said Els, who made history last month by capturing the Toyota World Matchplay title for a third successive year. "But my opinion is that it should be played every four years. That would allow the top players from the participating countries time to plan around the event. And as a consequence, the World Cup would grow in stature."

However, innocent and well meaning that observation, it was difficult to escape the impression of a leading player bogged down in end of season commitments. It is an inevitable consequence of the proliferation of events all over the world, ranging from the Sarazen World Open at Chateau Elan to the Dunhill Masters and the recent Johnny Walker Super Tour event played at four different Asian venues.

Then, of course, there is next week's Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City where Els and Nick Faldo will be in the 12 man field. "There is a plan for 1998 whereby the top players in the world will play against each other in six or seven events, plus the four majors," said Els. "It is definitely something the players want."

As to current commitments, the South African Open is the only event Els will play on his home circuit, this winter and his 1997 schedule begins on the USPGA Tour with the Los Angeles Open.

In the meantime, the World Cup remains a remarkable tournament. Not only has it survived amid a veritable glut of end of year events; it remains a highly attractive proposition for the players, given a prize fund of $1.5 million this week. From that, the winning partnership will receive $400,000 between them and the leading individual will collect $100,000.

Conditions are expected to be ideal on a testing, par 72 stretch with an overall length of 7,002 yards. Glorious sunshine yesterday was viewed by the locals as, hopefully, the official arrival of the South African summer after depressing rain and high winds in recent weeks.

All of which contributed to the buoyant mood of my driver, on the journey into the city. He ignored the turn off for the M17 leading to Athlone, while pointing out Table Mountain and the Lion's Head. But one's attention was repeatedly deflected by the advertising hoardings, which were clearly succeeding in their objective.

And we thought of our approach from the South Atlantic towards Cape Town airport and the pilot pointing out Roben Island where Nelson Mandela spent so long as a prisoner of the country's former apartheid regime. It made for a fascinating arrival.

. England's Lee Westwood is ranked number 64 on the world list after maintaining his good form in the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Miyazaki, Japan. Westwood shared sixth place with Italy's Constantino Rocca while Mashami `Jumbo' Ozaki, who picked up his 100th career title by winning the tournament for the third successive year, is number eight in the rankings.