Ricky Wysocki becomes a millionaire because he is good at throwing frisbee

Four million dollars for a four-year contract. Naked numbers only become impressive once you know the sport that American Ricky Wisuke plays: disc golf.

He follows

We know Frisbee as a piece of sports equipment for park chatting. The joy is greater when the plastic disc is picked up after a long journey than when it is caught in the branches of the tree again.

However, Frisbee, which appeared in the United States in the 1950s, was not only tossed for sheer fun, but also used as an actual piece of sports equipment. In the United States, disc golf has grown so large that it can be used to earn real money.

Disc golf is all about mastering a course with the fewest number of throws possible. Instead of holes as in normal golf, the basket should be hit as a target.

Ricky Wisuke is the best of the best. He is a 28-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona #1 on the Disc Golf Pro . Tour And a two-time world champion. Wysocki, whom they call “Sockibomb”, has in his career Won 120 championships so far And with it comes every third. He has received $506,832 in prize money so far.

Rise to a millionaire

But a professional does not live off prize money alone, neither in tennis, nor in golf, nor in golf. Ricky Whiskey just changed the Frisbee brand – and became a millionaire. The manufacturer of Dynamic Discs guarantees him $1 million annually for four years, as well as a $250,000 signing bonus and success-based bonuses.

“Money is great and it’s something I worked hard for and what I earned”, Wysocki said. “And I’m so grateful that others see it that way too.” He moves into the fields of five-time world champion Paul Macbeth, who became a disc golf millionaire before him.

In addition, the manufacturer also relies on the experience of the athlete when it comes to developing a new game of Frisbees. “I’ll have a say in the plastic and design, which is very interesting for me as a player because I can tell you exactly what I want,” said Wysocki, who has relied on Innova competitor products since 2019. He was very successful with them: thanks to six championship victories, a total of 14 podium places and 22 top-ten results, Ricky Wisuke became a few days ago Awarded PDGA Player of the Year. 2021 was the fourth time he won this title.

One of the very few

The golfer wants to spend part of his million-dollar income promoting his sport. He plans to create a “Sockibomb Foundation” that is supposed to help young talents. The foundation is also supposed to distribute UFOs and matching baskets to schools.

The Wysocki contract should not hide the fact that very few athletes can make a living on their own in golf. At the lower level, the situation is similar to tennis, with Henri Laaksonen of Schaffhausen, ranked 98th in the world, sometimes sleeping in the car to save on hotel costs.

You must be “in the top 0.001 percent of all golfers” in order to cover their expenses with sponsorships and prize money, Appreciated “Disc Golf Report”. However, the blog predicts that by ten years, “many players will be able to become fully professional.” Even today, tournaments “no longer feel like a family reunion”, but rather as a professional event. “You definitely get the feeling that this is a very significant sporting event.”

Sports are on the rise

20 players – more than ever – She won more than $30,000 in prize money last year. Many have sponsorship agreements. For example, Estonian Kristin Tattar raises at least $500,000 from the manufacturer Latitude 64 for four years.

Not the big sums to be won in golf yet, as in real golf. But it seems that a marginal sport among the marginal sports is about to rise.

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