Study Claims Golfers Likely To Live Longer

Obviously John Daly wasn't part of the study that Bloomberg's Carey Sargent reports on (thanks to reader Jim):

The death rate for golfers is 40 percent lower than for other people of the same sex, age and socioeconomic status, a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found.

This equates to a five-year increase in life expectancy, scientists led by Anders Ahlbom and Bahman Farahmand at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm said. Golfers with a low handicap -- a measure of a player's ability -- are the best protected, they said.

Wait, but they hit fewer shots, which means less walking, no? 

"A round of golf means being outside for 4 or 5 hours, walking at a fast pace for 6 to 7 kilometers (3.7 to 4.4 miles), something which is known to be good for health,'' Ahlbom said in an e-mailed statement. ``People play golf into old age, and there are also positive social and psychological aspects to the game that can be of help.''

These guys obviously don't play the game if they think there are positive psychological aspects.