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Dustin Johnson has claimed LIV Golf will be awarded world ranking points for the start of their new season next month - and he should be ranked world No.40. The Saudi-backed tour has changed from a 54-hole format to playing 72 holes this year.

And LIV has been in negotiations with Official World Golf Rankings to obtain points in their 14 events - and allow players to qualify easier for Majors. A deal is close - and it will be huge boost for LIV Golf.

Former world No.1 Johnson, who is now ranked No.639 after joining LIV in 2022, said: “Yeah, that's obviously definitely going to be big, which, more my opinion, we should have already have them.

"But it's looking like we'll get them this year, starting for the first event, hopefully, I don't know. I don't sit on the board of the World Rankings.

"But as of right now, you know, hopefully we do get them just because, you know, right now, they don't really reflect the actual standings of golf right now, with how Rahm and Tyrrell and Joaquín and Bryson and whatever, it doesn't reflect (the situation). Myself, I'm like a thousand, I don't even know.”

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Double Major winner Johnson, who has just signed a new three-year contract with LIV Golf, is ranked No.178 by Data Golf which takes into account the breakaway circuit. He also plays events on the Asian Tour and DP World Tour.

Asked where he should be ranked, Johnson said: “With my play over the last little while, I would say 40, 45. I haven't played up to my standards. But yeah, somewhere around there.”

Johnson won the 2016 US Open and is exempt until 2028 and he can play the Masters for life after his 2020 win. He currently will need to qualify for the US PGA and the Open.

“Good golf will take care of that,” he said. “If I play well, starting at the beginning of the year, have a good Masters, things like that, I'll get into all the majors. I feel like I've got a good relationship with them. Obviously my game, if I'm playing well enough, then I think they will want me to play them.”

Johnson will tee up at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic or the first time on Thursday before the LIV Golf season starts in Riyadh on February 4.

“I am here because of my schedule,” he explained. I would say we don't start until the first week of February, so it's the first time it really kind of fit my schedule. bviously it's a great event, great field and they do a great job with the tournament. It's a really good place to start and see kind of where the game is, and to try to get off to, felt like the game started trending in the right direction toward the end of the year.

"I started playing a lot better. Didn't play worth a darn the first part of year.

“Obviously I still have the drive to compete and compete with the best players in the world. This year, I want to get back to the form where I know I should be.”