I honestly don't get the point of this suggestion, why would a competitive leaderboard would have to be more "newbie-friendly" anyway ?
There's the word "LEADER" in "leaderboard", it's not just a "ranking list". You just have to work hard if you want to reach it.
Not to mention the other rankings (selected mods, national) are already there if you're really craving for fame if it's just about self-esteem.
I dunno, I just can't picture myself going to my local arcade, asking to show the top 20+ scores instead of top 10, just because I can't reach them. I would just practice until I'd be part of that top, which feels much more rewarding.