Ben Geyer

Looking back on the weekend that was in amateur golf, there was no tournament that had the firepower seen at the Western Amateur in Highland Park, Ill.

Considered the amateur game's toughest test, the grueling event --- which includes 72 holes of stroke play before four rounds of match play --- was won by Washington Huskies star Chris Williams.

The rising senior took home medalist honors through stroke-play qualifying with a record-breaking 17-under par (breaking his own record of 16-under last year) and carried that momentum through match play with great wins over Richard Lamb, Brandon Stone, Abraham Ancer and, in the finals, Jordan Russell.

The Metropolitan Golf Association crowned its amateur champion, too, this weekend. In the final match at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J., Ryan McCormick bested Matt Mattare, 3-and-2.

Another big name in golf, which is likely to only get bigger, is Cody Proveaux, who took home the South Carolina Amateur title this weekend. The top-notch junior enters his freshman year at Clemson next month and heads there on a roll.

In Texas, Brian Noonan fired a pair of weekend 2-under 68s to win the Austin City Championship. A few hours north, Kolton Crawford earned low amateur honors at the Texas State Open.

And, of course, in California, a handful of key championships were played. Ben Geyer and Scott Anderson took titles at the Contra Costa County Amateur. Josh Stone used local knowledge to defend at the Stockton City Championship. And Weston Payne of Menlo Park, Calif. took home top honors at the amateurgolf.com Bay Regional.

LOOKING FORWARD:

This is a huge week to look ahead to in amateur golf across the nation.

Today, the 2012 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship begins at Cleveland Country Club in Ohio. You can follow the action throughout the week here.

In California, the Southern California Golf Association Match Play and Senior Match Play events will be held.

That won't be the only match play being played in the state, though, as the Los Angeles City Men's Match Play Championship rolls on.

Another important amateur event is the Cardinal Amateur, which tees off Thursday at Cardinal Golf and Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. In Texas, the North and South Amateur Championships will kick off Friday.

As always, follow the action all week long on amateurgolf.com.