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Show AI1ETES CONTINUED Dorothy Hamill parlayed her Olympic gold medal into a $2 million package which includes a multi-yea- r contract with the Ice Capades, TV specials for ABC, and ads for Clairol. Judy Rankin, the first woman golfer to top the $100,000 mark, cashed in to the tune of $150,000 on the course in 1976 and nearly $50,000 in outside ing many women into pro sports as a career. Debbie Mason, the first player to sign with the newly formed Women's Basketball Association which plans to field 12 teams this fall sees a lot of money in her future. But, she says, "I'd never ask for anything like $50,000 now because it would endanger the league." Twenty-four-year-o- ld Other savvy female pros have also discovered that they can pyramid earnings through outside contracts. And golfer Laura Baugh has shown that being a top player may actually be irrelevant. Perky, blonde Laura was a big hit as an amateur and signed up with agent Mark McCormack when she was only corporate golf outings. Laura salted away a cool lion last year from these quarter milventures more than any female golfer. But she has paid a price. She ranked 19th on the pro circuit and has never won an LPGA tournament. And she confesses,"! know what it's like to be really tired." After a long day of filming one of her Japanese promot- ions. Lillian Ellison, who rules the female wrestling world "Fabulous Moolah," can count on real moolah on a par with Rankin's. Added to her profits are fees from her "stable" of 21 wrestlers and from her wrestling as school. Marion Post, 21 year-old women's "hot dog" (freestyle) ski champ, took home $70,000 last year most of it for endorsements. -- mm M7u DM MS m inai rasms) WR dcs Public relations ploy big chunk of the money comes from corporations which see women's sports as a vast untapped resource for publicity and TV promotion. For example, Virginia Slims, a division of Philip Morris, Inc., kicked off the first allwomen's tennis circuit in 1970 with a $5000 purse. Today, the prize money has A KBDJP i Iron poor blood is the most widespread nutritional ailment in America today. And taking vitamins cant help, because vitamins dont contain iron. What you need is Geritol, every day. Geritol is so rich in iron, just one tablet contains more iron than even a pound of calfs liver. Plus vitamins important to your health. Geritols iron can actually build your blood day by day. Thats what makes it different from vitamin pills and so important to you. - lucrative commercial endorsements boosted the income o I "hot dog" skiing star Marion Post to $ 70,000 . reached $1,250,000, and Virginia Slims pends at least twice that to administer he circuit. Another corporate giant, Colgate, bankrolling women's golf back n 1971 and this year budgeted $12 million for golf, tennis, "hot dog" skiing md track. The potential for high earnings is lur- - Golfer Amy Alcott, 20, readily admits that money not the fun of the game was the reason she turned pro. Two instead of colyears ago, she chose golf for a lege and earned $26,000, a record wintournament her rookie. Last year she and piled to soared $71,000, nings endorsements gp another $50,000 in and teaching clinics. her to Japan, where she became an instant celebrity. 17. He sent golf-craz- was a woman and had worked out Laura. Now she has had 21, nicely," says a TV show, modeling jobs and even a recording contract in Japan. Back home she flashes her smile for Ultra Brite toothpaste and is in hot demand for "Because I blonde hair, everything Although jockey Robyn Smith earned nearly $100,000 last year, she says "money isn't that important winning is" TV spots last year, Laura passed out on the set from exhaustion. "They propped me back up and away I went," she says with a shrug. Laura's success as golfs glamour girl has had a dramatic effect on the physical appearance of her fellow players. Tom Cox, president of a St. Petersburg, Fla., golf club that sponsors an annual LPGA tournament, has noticed that since Laura came on the scene "the other women have become more conscious of their public image. I see a lot more of The feminine touch painted fingernails and jewelry. Beauty is better 'The women have learned it's not enough just to play good golf anymore. You also have to look attractive. These things are important to the gallery." Golfer Sandra Post agrees: "If you look attractive, you're obviously going to be invited to do a lot of traveling to make money like Laura does." What separates the women from the girls is knowing how to capitalize on these outside bonanzas. One leading golfer, for example, endorses a clothing line "for very little money," while tennis player Betty Stove picks up an easy $5000 simply by plugging tea during interviews. And jockey Robyn Smith more than doubled her racing income continued 19 |