Top 20 - 2018 PDGA Pro Earnings

[Streets]

How many minorities are on the list?

Paul, Nikko and Philo?

 

[Halcón]

Paul, Nikko and Philo?

Uli has a Spanish last name, but his family could have been here for generations. ???

 

[roggenb3]

Feels like 2018 has been a good year for Paul. . but he made way more money in 2017 $69.411

$57,245.00 is WAY more than $69.41

 

[takman]

It's always surprising how much our favorite pros make from just pdga tour events. These are the superstars of our sport, and sure they make additional money from sponsorships, endorsements, etc, but this is why the sport isn't growing that much on the pro side imop. The payouts just aren't there....yet.

P. McBet $57,245.00
R. Wysocki $45,989.67
E. McMahon $44,669.30
K. Jones $34,793.67
C. Dickerson $34,477.50
P. Ulibarri $31,396.43
J. Conrad $30,173.50
P. Pierce $28,777.00
G. Barsby $28,682.63
N. Sexton $26,569.92
S. Hokom $24,769.75
G. Gurthie $23,510.17
C. Allen $23,382.00
S. Lizotte $21,564.79
D. Gibson $20,806.00
N. Locastro $20,162.00
M. Orum $18,403.00
C. Colglazier $18,197.67
Z. Melton $17,693.08
P. Brathwaite $17,577.52

Compare to just 10 years ago, only 5 players over 20K and nobody over 40K

D. Feldberg $38,929.00
A. Jenkins $33,609.50
E. McCabe $30,018.50
N. Doss $27,545.00
B. Schultz $22,785.50
G. Bennett $18,320.67
V. Jenkins $17,742.00
S. Rico $16,275.00
C. Leiviska $14,367.50
K. Climo $13,852.00
N. Locastro $13,848.25
B. Schweberger $12,753.00
M. Orum $12,452.50
K. Orrick $11,962.00
P. McBeth $11,852.50
J. Reading $11,673.50
W. Schusterick $11,042.50
C. Sprague $10,774.50
B. Schick $10,601.50
D. Reading $10,566.00

 

[gammaxgoblin]

Compare to just 10 years ago, only 5 players over 20K and nobody over 40K

D. Feldberg $38,929.00
A. Jenkins $33,609.50
E. McCabe $30,018.50
N. Doss $27,545.00
B. Schultz $22,785.50
G. Bennett $18,320.67
V. Jenkins $17,742.00
S. Rico $16,275.00
C. Leiviska $14,367.50
K. Climo $13,852.00
N. Locastro $13,848.25
B. Schweberger $12,753.00
M. Orum $12,452.50
K. Orrick $11,962.00
P. McBeth $11,852.50
J. Reading $11,673.50
W. Schusterick $11,042.50
C. Sprague $10,774.50
B. Schick $10,601.50
D. Reading $10,566.00

Adjust that for 3% annual inflation please

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[JC17393]

Adjust that for 3% annual inflation please

2008 money list adjusted for inflation (2018 dollars)
D. Feldberg $45,643.57
A. Jenkins $39,406.55
E. McCabe $35,196.17
N. Doss $32,296.03
B. Schultz $26,175.60
G. Bennett $21,480.66
V. Jenkins $20,802.18
S. Rico $19,082.15
C. Leiviska $16,845.64
K. Climo $16,241.23
N. Locastro $16,236.83
B. Schweberger $14,952.67
M. Orum $14,600.34
K. Orrick $14,025.24
P. McBeth $13,896.85
J. Reading $13,686.97
W. Schusterick $12,947.14
C. Sprague $12,632.91
B. Schick $12,430.07
D. Reading $12,388.45

 

[Rob Martin]

People don't earn big money for being good at something. They earn money for the value being good at something has to someone else.

This is gold. It could be a financial proverb.

 

[takman]

Adjust that for 3% annual inflation please

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

My point is it's growing in the right direction.

 

[DavidSauls]

The tricky thing about the growth of pro payouts is that they can't be fueled by more entries. Tournaments can only hold so much. The growth in courses or tournaments or people playing disc golf, in themselves, won't do it. They have to be fueled by a growth in fans---spectators, live and on line, and purchasers of merchandise. So it might lag a bit, until when and if some of the current ventures gain traction---those producing videos, the DGPT, or something we haven't heard of yet.

 

[DanJon]

I'm assuming this doesn't include the money that sponsors throw in as bonuses for placing well at certain tournaments.

 

[dashiellx]

How has she been touring for 10 years like that??

I could be wrong, but I though Sarah was a teacher? I had read that a few of the pros were teachers who just traveled for the weekends and summer.

 

[Halcón]

I'm assuming this doesn't include the money that sponsors throw in as bonuses for placing well at certain tournaments.

Right. This (AFAIK) is just straight tourney winnings. I'm sure Paul made more than that this year just from disc sales alone.

 

[JC17393]

The tricky thing about the growth of pro payouts is that they can't be fueled by more entries. Tournaments can only hold so much. The growth in courses or tournaments or people playing disc golf, in themselves, won't do it. They have to be fueled by a growth in fans---spectators, live and on line, and purchasers of merchandise. So it might lag a bit, until when and if some of the current ventures gain traction---those producing videos, the DGPT, or something we haven't heard of yet.

What might be a more instructive comparison isn't the total prize money won by these players 10 years ago vs today, but the average prize money won per event played. I haven't looked into it, and maybe I will if I find enough free time this afternoon/evening, but I would guess that Feldberg, Jenkins and McCabe played more total tournaments to account for their top 3 earnings spot in 2008 than McBeth, Wysocki, and McMahon did to top the money list in 2018. Feldberg and Jenkins in particular were road warriors back in the day, to a much greater extent than I'd describe McBeth or McMahon in particular. Ricky is on the road constantly, though I don't think he's actually playing events as frequently as those 10 years before him.

With the DGPT and the growth of the NT, there is certainly more added money to be won than there was a decade ago. Enough to keep more players on the road than were able to do so back then. But we're still no where near a point where prize money alone keeps players solvent.

 

[ru4por]

I really doubt that the touring pros are paying for rent, utilities, house repairs, or car payments - simply because they don't have those costs in their life. Or, their car payments are their house payments. Lots of conversion vans and campers out there on tour - and even quite a few that tent camp still.




I feel like pro tour disc golf is basically a game for trust fund kids or people with zero external obligation. That's not going to help the sport grow at that level.

I find this hard to believe, unless they are living at home with parents. Some on this list are married, some with children. Most do not tour as a 52 week caravan. Though, I am sure some do.

 

[ThrowBot]

How many minorities are on the list?

I would hazard a guess that the top 20 earners list has similar racial & gender composition to the PDGA membership in general.

 

[JC17393]

I could be wrong, but I though Sarah was a teacher? I had read that a few of the pros were teachers who just traveled for the weekends and summer.

As far as I know, she is not a teacher. It is perhaps what she used to do or went to school to do (I don't know), but Sarah Hokom has been a full time touring player for quite a few years. Definitely not a weekends/summers-only kind of player.

Perhaps you're confusing her with Sarah (Stanhope) Cunningham, 2010 FPO World Champ. I believe she is a teacher who only toured during her summer break, and now only really plays locally since becoming a mom.

 

[teemkey]

I would hazard a guess that the top 20 earners list has similar racial & gender composition to the PDGA membership in general.

Of the 20 players listed there are 3 women, so that's 15%. Isn't that roughly double the number of female members?

 

[VictorB]

I find this hard to believe, unless they are living at home with parents. Some on this list are married, some with children. Most do not tour as a 52 week caravan. Though, I am sure some do.

I see 1 person with a kid on that list, and his wife works remotely and has a full time job. I don't think married has much to do with it either - even better if your spouse can support your job as a pro disc golfer...there's definitely a few people on that list that live with their parents - Eagle is one, but not knocking that because he's like 20. I'd wager most have good friends that they are able to live with in the offseason, or go park their RV at a campground.

Regardless of all of that - they are scratching out a life that's for sure. But like 60k for being the best in your sport over a calendar year isn't much. Of course, winnings =/= earnings. If we could get a full picture of job earnings + winnings, it could make more sense and we could get a better estimate for pro disc golf being a legitimate career (though I'm guessing it's not unless you're one of the 20 best in the world)

 

[ru4por]

I see 1 person with a kid on that list, and his wife works remotely and has a full time job. I don't think married has much to do with it either - even better if your spouse can support your job as a pro disc golfer...there's definitely a few people on that list that live with their parents - Eagle is one, but not knocking that because he's like 20. I'd wager most have good friends that they are able to live with in the offseason, or go park their RV at a campground.

Regardless of all of that - they are scratching out a life that's for sure. But like 60k for being the best in your sport over a calendar year isn't much. Of course, winnings =/= earnings. If we could get a full picture of job earnings + winnings, it could make more sense and we could get a better estimate for pro disc golf being a legitimate career (though I'm guessing it's not unless you're one of the 20 best in the world)

Agreed that a second income would help, but my point was....if married, I would think that would ensure a permanent domicile with the associated costs, and the cost of an actual home (house, condo, apt) would be a considerable drag on the income numbers presented. Maybe not though, I am not out there talking to these folks.

 

[Mspot]

The only way tournament prize purses go up is through having a demand for spectating. If enough people are watching these tournaments, then companies will be willing to pay money to get advertisements on air. Or you could try charging people to watch (pay per view style), but this is likely to be a total failure. How much has viewership been increasing annually for the last several years? I'd say it is moving in the right direction. I hope to see jomez, ccdg, dgpt, smashboxx and other disc golf media continue to grow.