Cam Davis Advocates for Shot Penalties to Combat Slow Play on PGA Tour

Cam Davis insists he's moved on from his $500,000 "perfect storm" and offered a simple solution to the slow play debate that's bugged the beginning of the PGA season.

The Australian will enter the Pebble Beach Pro-Am quietly confident after top-20 finishes in two of the year's first three events.

But it could have been far sweeter, the 29-year-old slugged with a two-stroke penalty that ultimately cost him a tie for fifth and almost half a million dollars when he hit his opponent's ball in The Sentry's final round.

Davis and American playing partner Will Zalatoris's costly mix-up saw the Australian finish 13th and take home almost half the prize money he would have earned by finishing two shots lower.

"It was annoying ... a perfect storm of unfortunate things happening," he said on the eve of the USD $20 million Californian showpiece.

Both men were using red Titleist balls, and both balls had come to rest covering their markings.

"(We were playing) different numbers, but the difference between a red Titleist two and three, when you're just glancing down and the balls were in the same position," Davis mused.

"People saw, but nobody was able to call out and tell us.

"I tend to try and keep things moving ... I don't think I'm ever going to let that happen again.

"Twenty minutes of frustration .. (but) I felt like I handled it pretty well.

"It's not going to leave a mark for too long and we can make up for it with a good week this week."

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth will return from injury as part of the 80-man field that includes amateur partners for the opening two rounds at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.

It comes with pace of play in the spotlight after the final group at the Farmers Insurance Open took five-and-a-half hours to finish their round.

The PGA Tour have announced some measures to address the issue, including publicising the average stroke time for each player, disclosing fines and penalties for slow play and use of a video review system to fast-track rules decisions.

But Davis thinks only shot penalties will deliver the jeopardy to make an impact.

"We need more shot penalties because guys won't care about a fine but for a shot penalty, that will really cost them in a tournament," he said.

Tiger Woods copped a 40-second shot clock violation at this week's TGL event but it's not since 1995 that a player has been pinged for taking too long in a solo PGA Tour event.

"I agree that it feels like it's definitely getting slower," Davis said.

"I've always tried to make sure I'm not the problem in groups that I'm playing in. Sometimes I find myself rushing when other guys are going slow."

"People ... whether they don't like seeing low scores, or whether they don't like seeing guys shooting a long way under par and not struggling.

"They need to realise as a result that a tournament where someone finishes between five and 15 under par, that pace is brutal and it's going to be slow."