Woods won the PGA Championship in 2007, his 13th career professional major championship, but he was the only one of the eight major winners to have hoisted a grand slam trophy before. Harrington, Ochoa, Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Morgan Pressel, Suzann Pettersen and Cristie Kerr all won majors for the first time.
"Almost all endorsement agreements will have a major-championship victory bonus in them, varying from the lowest of about $100,000 up to $1 million or more for a first major," says Rocky Hambric of Hambric Sports Management, who has 1997 British Open champion Justin Leonard among his clients. "That would go for all industry agreements and corporate deals as well, so a player usually will have three or more of those bonuses." Hambric says a proven player who wins his first major will see his appearance fee, once $50,000 to $100,000, jump to $500,000 or more.
Though men will earn several million almost immediately for winning a first major, Erik Stevens, who manages business deals for his wife, Kerr, says it's "more like low six figures," generated by her winning the U.S. Women's Open. But Stevens says Kerry's appearance fee has gone from $30,000 per outing to $50,000.
"Now events can say they have the U.S. Open champion," says Stevens. "It's like going from Elton John to Sir Elton John."
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