Jordan Spieth claims to have predicted the meteoric rise of his compatriot Dustin Johnson by saying that he “called this years ago."

In all likelihood, Spieth probably wishes he didn’t get to say ‘I told you so’, but unfortunately for him, he’s been forced to sit back and watch Johnson challenge, dethrone and even pull away from him as world number one and quite possibly the hottest golfer on the tour right now.

Spieth however appears to be taking a small victory in that fact that he saw this coming.

“I believe you guys can attest to this, but I called this,” Spieth said while speaking to the media about Johnson’s surge to the top of the golfing world after three consecutive victories, via Golf Magic.

"Am I wrong? I mentioned this going back years that Dustin Johnson is the most talented player and it's a matter of time. Once he gets that click.

"It was probably the US Open looking back at it now. He just got over that hurdle. And whatever free up he needed, that we didn't need him to have, he got.

"I'm not trying to say I told you so, but I definitely called this and I've been quoted for doing so."

“The guy to beat”

The 2015 Masters winner also insists that 32 year-old Johnson is “the guy to beat” going into the 2017 tournament, despite his lack of real success in the championship thus far in his career.

Spieth himself has a victory and two runner up finishes in three years at Augusta, and while he did nothing to play down his own ability, he remained adamant that the favourite was always going to be Johnson.

“I'm not in the least bit surprised that he is the guy to beat," said Spieth.

"Put him anywhere, I think just about anybody would agree with that.

Johnson is in great form

"If I play my best golf, I believe that I can take down anybody, and you have to believe that. But I think that right now he is the guy that everyone is saying, ‘He’s playing the best golf in the world right now.’"

Johnson indeed remains the bookies’ favourite to pick up the green jacket ahead of Spieth, as well as the likes of Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Jason Day.