The MENA Tour – Middle East and North Africa – announced on Wednesday a strategic alliance that will result in MENA sanctioning LIV Golf Invitational events and making them part of its Tour.

The MENA Tour said it would submit the 48-man field from the LIV Golf Invitational –Bangkok to the OWGR this week before the 54-hole event starts on Friday.

It said all LIV Golf players, like Australia's Open champion Cameron Smith and US superstars Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, have now joined the MENA Tour.

"This is a very exciting day for the MENA Tour and our players," Commissioner David Spencer said in a news release on the circuit's website.

"Through this alliance, our players will now have enhanced playing opportunities and stronger pathways. This is great news for the future of many young players on our Tour."

"We are taking this mutually beneficial action to support the game at the developmental level and because of the importance and fairness of LIV golfers qualifying for OWGR points." - Atul Khosla.

LIV Golf and its Australian leader, Greg Norman, have been desperate to get world ranking points for its inaugural season of seven tournaments, which began in early June.

Norman filed an application with the Official World Golf Ranking board in early July.

Even without some hurdles to overcome, it typically takes at least a year for the OWGR to approve a new Tour joining its system.

Among the deficiencies are OWGR guidelines that every tournament be at least 54 holes with a 36-hole cut. LIV Golf has no cut.

Guidelines also state that tournaments must average a 75-man field over the course of the season. LIV Golf has 48-man fields.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle is a requirement that a new Tour comply with the guidelines for at least one year before it gets admitted.

LIV Golf is playing in Bangkok this week and Saudi Arabia next week, which wraps up its individual events.

Johnson leads the money list at just over $US9.5 million ($A14.8 million) in individual earnings from five events.

"We are taking this mutually beneficial action to support the game at the developmental level and because of the importance and fairness of LIV golfers qualifying for OWGR points," said Atul Khosla, president and chief operating officer of LIV Golf.

The MENA Tour began in 2011 and has 54-hole events, typical of developmental Tours. The OWGR recognised it in 2016.

The last MENA Tour event ended on March 4, 2020 in Aqaba, Jordan. Ryan Lumsden of Scotland won by one shot and earned $US13,500 ($A21,000).

The winner from LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok gets $US4 million ($A6.2 million).