While I have nothing against the concept of more pros being able to make a living in this sport, I agree with the general thought that before the tip of the pyramid can bring in the big bucks, the foundation or base much get much much larger. The path to a few hundred top players making a true living at disc golf as a sport rests solely in the ability to grow disc golf as a game. I believe all our focus should be on the latter, not the former.
Growing the game of disc golf will benefit everyone, including the 99% of individuals, who will never have any aspirations of changing careers.
Growing the game of disc golf should include addressing the lack of diversity at present. I am biased, but I truly believe that most people, regardless of gender, skin color, national origin, or anything else, would get hooked on the game of disc golf were they to play a round with an appropriate disc(s) at a course suitable to their beginning skill level.
Growing the game of disc golf should also focus on getting every more elementary schools involved.
Growing the game of disc golf could include traveling clubs, like the Ryder Cup in bolf, just at a lower level. Having 10 players from town or neighborhood A go up against town B could be fun, and a potential way to draw in some local sponsorship money anyway. Or have local schools form teams. They have teams for everything else. Go past your local high school baseball field--look at the outfield walls. See all the advertisers? That sort of thing. If you can get schools competing against each other, the rest will take care of itself.
I will never win one single dollar at disc golf. Most who play are in the same boat. But we minions are eventually where each dollar that Paul or Ricky or Eagle wins starts out at. We purchase the discs that innova and discraft produce, which they then turn around and give to top players as their sponsors. I have probably never shot a round over 950 in my life. But I have spent probably close to a thousand bucks on products just in the last couple years. We minions would also buy any products that a larger corporate sponsor would sell, and in turn then have to money to pay top players.
So you want to grow this sport? Grow it for me. I am disc golf.