The 2010 Champions Tour schedule released this week shows the tour coming to South Florida early, then returning after the season to set up for 2011.

Tour event No. 3, The Allianz Championship, will take place Feb. 15-21 at The Old Course at Boca Raton's Broken Sound Club. Though not in Dade, Broward or Palm Beach the week before, some fans might find The ACE Group Classic at The Quarry in Naples an easier trip to make than a drive to Boca Raton.

After the final event, Coral Gables' TPC Eagle Trace will host the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament on Nov. 16-19. This year's tournament, at TPC Scottsdale last week, was won by, appropriately, Australia's Peter Senior. Senior, Japan's Joe Ozaki, Steve Haskins of El Paso, Texas, Ronnie Black of Tucson, Ariz., and playoff winner Jim Roy of Syracuse, N.Y., each earned fully-exempt status for the 2010 Tour season.

For those who saw Haskins and El Paso and wondered -- any relation? -- yes, Steve Haskins is the son of Don Haskins, the coach of the landmark 1966 Texas Western (now University of Texas-El Paso) men's basketball team. Haskins' team, the first to start five black players in an NCAA final, upset Kentucky and legendary coach Adolph Rupp for the championship.

FREE GOLF

Those wishing to check out some good amateur golf without spending any cash should swing by International Links-Miami Melreese Country Club for the Dade Amateur Golf Championship. The tournament begins Friday morning and runs through Sunday. There is free admission for spectators.

LEONI PREVAILS

Miami Shores' Victor Leoni birdied the 18th hole to get into a playoff, then birdied the first playoff hole Monday to capture the Minor League Golf Tour's event at Lake Worth's Fountains Country Club.

Playing the West course, Leoni sank a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 to catch Brett Bergeron of LaPlace, La., at 4-under-par 67. On the first playoff hope, Bergeron missed a 10-footer for birdie, then had to be wondering about his luck -- last Thursday, at Jupiter's Abacoa Golf Club, he tied Brian Anderson of Rochester, Ill., and was declared a co-champion when darkness prevented a playoff.