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Top 20 - 2018 PDGA Pro Earnings
- Thread starter DiscFifty
- Start date
What is a tad bit depressing to me is some of those big names at the bottom. It's strange..you see them on social media, doing clinics, etc, etc, and you naturally assume they're making money from this sport, then you see how little money they actually made from playing this game.
Does anyone know how much of a percent sponsors pay pros on their earnings? Do they also pay for their health care?
I've always wondered why the PDGA can't initiate some kind of additional pay out program for the top 3 players from each major, nt event. I would have no problem knowing some of my yearly dues, money from local tournaments, etc, went to this program.
The PDGA could do a lot of things. But not everything. So they have to have priorities.
I suspect this wouldn't be one. It wouldn't make disc golf better; just better for those players. Better to build the framework with which those players can earn more money, by more exposure.
Many of the top pros, to my knowledge, earn a percentage bonus or match based on their big tournament finishes.
So I wasn't factoring in discs sales, which I'm sure guys like McBeth, Wysocki and Sexton make way more from.
brutalbrutus
* Ace Member *
Doesnt the NT POY money come from membership fees?
NT bonuses, in part, do. Some of the added cash in the PDGA-owned majors (Worlds, Selinske, US Womens, etc) comes from membership as well. Well, maybe not directly into added cash, but each major gets a stipend from the PDGA that they can use to off-set costs which in turn allows them to put more of any outside money into the purse.
This money is the oft-cited reason that a pro membership costs more than amateur membership.
I'd guess that the top 5 in tourney winnings are also doing great in disc sales, sponsor money (including bonuses), etc.
But those peripheral earnings probably drop off even more steeply than the total tourney payouts.
But those peripheral earnings probably drop off even more steeply than the total tourney payouts.
Halcón
Free At Last
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Probably double the minorities also. And I bet the median age of those top 20 is much younger than the median age of the PDGA.
DiscNinja33
Par Member
That makes the increase over the last 10 years look pretty weak. Money isn't everything though, sometimes I'd be down to trade my job to be a traveling disc pro. Apparently you have to be good at disc golf to do that though, damn!
The "weak" increase in player winnings reflects the structure of that one revenue stream, which is constricted. You can't fit a lot more tournaments into the calendar, or other payers into those tournaments.
I suspect if you look at the top 5 or 10 players' overall income---not just tournament winnings---you'll see a stronger growth. Things like tour and signature discs, sponsorships, etc.
DiscNinja33
Par Member
Definitely. I've seen it posted multiple places that someone, I'm guessing Paul, pulled in $250k this year. Not sure I buy that big of a number, but they definitely make more than they did 10 years ago. I'm just saying that with the sport exploding like disc golf is, you'd think tournament payouts would increase a little more than that. I think it'll get much better in the next 5-10 years, now that there are so many people that can compete with the top pros (more money in the pot), and better exposure.
The explosion of disc golf---more casual players, more tournament players, more great players, more courses, more tournaments---has little relation to actual tournament payouts.
Tournament payouts come substantially from 2 sources:
(1) Entry fees. The explosion doesn't mean a tournament can take in more entry fees; they can still only get so many people into the event, and so much from them.
(2) Begging local businesses for sponsorship money, or holding fundraisers. There isn't a great deal more value in the sponsorships, because there aren't more players in a tournament. Most of it is sort of a "civic donation" anyway, and there's not a lot of increase in that, either.
On the other hand, the explosion of disc golf can fuel a lot of the "other" income players get---more people to buy signature discs, more value for a manufacturer to sponsor a player and get more disc sales, etc.
Tournament payouts come substantially from 2 sources:
(1) Entry fees. The explosion doesn't mean a tournament can take in more entry fees; they can still only get so many people into the event, and so much from them.
(2) Begging local businesses for sponsorship money, or holding fundraisers. There isn't a great deal more value in the sponsorships, because there aren't more players in a tournament. Most of it is sort of a "civic donation" anyway, and there's not a lot of increase in that, either.
On the other hand, the explosion of disc golf can fuel a lot of the "other" income players get---more people to buy signature discs, more value for a manufacturer to sponsor a player and get more disc sales, etc.
takman
Eagle Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2009
- Messages
- 603
What I would like to see in 5-10 years is for all the NT events have major sponsors and payout like Ledgestone. No more 2-3K for an NT win, gotta get to the 8-10K level multiple times a year with decent payout down the line for the road warriors. All about the sponsors.
As an amateur, I would.
Last edited:
Agreed.
If they're not making enough money they can get a real job. Their poor life choices are not my problem.
Lol....I am not begrudging them the chance to make a living at disc golf, but not on my PDGA dime. Much like David below, I would rather see my money go toward building the tournament and sponsorship infrastructure, to allow them to succeed. At the same time building a framework that would improve the amateur experience.
Agreed. I have no issue with anyone making a living at it. That's their choice.
But if their choice is not financially sound, then they have the same option everyone else has. I see no reason to provide charity to allow them to continue playing a game.
$57,245.00 is WAY more than $69.41
Well, i´m, Swedish so i would never write i sum like that. . In Swedish, commas are used as decimal characters 57,245 is $57 and 0,245 cents for me . .i would write it like $57 244 or $57.245
Halcón
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