Seven women have won back-to-back U.S. Open titles in the history of the USGA-sponsored championship. One of them, Donna Caponi, did the second part of the feat on this date in 1970 at Muskogee (Okla.) Country Club. She finished the championship at one under par, a shot ahead of Sandra Haynie and Sandra Spuzich. The other six back-to-back winners are Mickey Wright (1958, 1959), Susie Berning (1972, 1973), Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978), Betsy King (1989, 1990), Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996), and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001). The 2016 winner, Brittany Lang, gets her shot at joining the club in two weeks.

A past golf moment on Independence Day occurred in 1965 when Carol Mann, at age 24, won the U.S. Women's Open at Atlantic City CC in Northfield, N.J. She did it in grand style. Needing a par to win on the final hole in Round 4, she made a birdie instead and won by two over Kathy Cornelius, the 1956 winner.

The first women's national intercollegiate golf championship is completed on this date in 1941, at the Ohio State University Golf Course, which had opened the year before. Eleanor Dudley of the University of Alabama beat 25 other players, winning the championship final, 4 and 2, over Ed Dell Wortz. The tournament was not played again until 1946 after World War II. The Associated Press story began: "The nation's golfing co-eds crowned their first queen today--Eleanor Dudley of Chicago, who was graduated only a few days ago by the University of Alabama. The 23-year-old, former Illinois and Western Junior champion, won the title with a 4 and 2 victory over Eddell [sic] Wortz of Fort Smith, Ark., freshman at Stephens College, in the 18 hole final of the first women's national intercollegiate tournament on the Ohio State University course."

On the day that a major champion will be crowned at the Women's PGA at Olympia Fields, we go back in history to this date in 1967. Catherine Lacoste of France won the U.S. Women's Open by two shots over Susie Maxwell and Beth Stone at Virginia Hot Springs Golf & Tennis Club. Lacoste, 22, became the second foreign-born player and the youngest winner of the Women's Open at the time. She still is the only amateur to win the championship.

Mickey Wright, the greatest women's golfer of all-time, won her third U.S. Women's Open on this date in 1961. The San Diego native won at Baltusrol Golf Club by six shots over Betsy Rawls, shooting 72-80-69-72-293. Wright won another National Open in 1964 and won 82 LPGA Tour titles in her career.

Bobby Jones made history on this date in 1929 at Winged Foot. Jones tied Al Espinosa after 72 holes in the U.S. Open, despite a final-round 79, and the two played a 36-hole playoff on Sunday, June 30, but 18 holes was enough to show the better player. Jones shot 72-69-141 to Espinosa's 84-80-164 to win his third National Open. When Jones won the U.S. Open again in 1930, it was part of his legendary Grand Slam year.

The Hawaiian legend Jackie Pung passed away this past March at age 95. Despite an incredible career as a golf champion and ambassador, however, she will foremost be known for the scoring mistake that took place on this date in 1957 in the U.S. Women's Open at Winged Foot. At the end of play, everyone thought Pung had beaten Betsy Rawls by a shot. But the wrong score was recorded on Pung's scorecard in the final round on the fourth hole by her fellow competitor, Betty Jameson, who had put down a 5 instead of the 6 she really had. The rules called for Pung to be disqualified for turning in a lower score on the fourth hole than she actually shot, and Rawls was declared the winner.

The just completed Travelers Championship--you know, the one a young star won by holing a bunker shot--began its life in 1952 as the Insurance City Open, a fitting name for a tournament held near insurance capitol Hartford. On this date in 1956, Arnold Palmer shot a 66 at Wethersfield Country Club to take control of the tournament and never let go, adding 69–68–71 for 274. That score tied Ted Kroll, the inaugural champion, after 72 holes, and Arnie ended up winning a two-hole, sudden-death playoff and top prize of $4,000.

Scotland's Willie Anderson was the 1901 U.S. Open champion and was tied for fifth in 1902, but soon after he became a National Open legend. On this date in 1903, Anderson finished in a tie for first and then on the next day won the first of three in a row, defeating David Brown in an 18-hole playoff, 82-84. Anderson is still the lone golfer to have won three in a row.

David Frost of South Africa was never too far from Greg Norman in the 1994 Canon Greater Hartford Open. After two rounds, Frost was one ahead. They both shot 66 in Round 3 to stay one stroke apart, and when they matched 69s on this date in ’94, Frost came out ahead for his ninth tour victory.

Greg Norman led by three shots entering the final round after shooting 67-64-65 and barely hung on to win after a 71 on this date in 1995. Dave Stockton Jr., Grant Waite and Kirk Triplett were two shots back.

Marc Leishman blitzed the TPC River Highlands course in 62 on this date in 2012, and he won by a shot over Bubba Watson and Charley Hoffman. It was the first PGA Tour victory for the Australian. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, again by one stroke, and again over Hoffman plus Kevin Kisner.

Popular Ken Duke won a playoff with Chris Stroud in the 2013 Travelers and earned the nearly $1.1 million payday. A disciple of legendary teacher Bob Toski, Duke shot 65-66 on the weekend to finish at 12 under par.

Kevin Streelman made one of the greatest charges on the weekend in tournament history, putting together back-to-back 64s to edge out Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi by one shot in 2014.

Davis Love III shot a 64 to tie for the second-round lead in the 2002 Canon Greater Hartford Open with Jonathan Kaye and Briny Baird. The eventual winner, Phil Mickelson, was four behind but would shoot 66-64 on the weekend to win.

Thirty-five years ago today, a shot was played that culminated a dream for Tom Watson and dashed Jack Nicklaus' run at a record. When Watson holed a ridiculously tough birdie chip from the left of the 17th green in the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, it led to victory in an event and at a location he'd often dreamed about.

Watson's ball runs toward the hole at 17 in the '82 U.S. Open

Like Arnold Palmer, Watson finished his career with one U.S. Open title, no PGA Championship, and an assortment of wins in the Masters and Open Championship. Nicklaus was trying to become the first man to win five National Opens, and was thinking it might happen after seeing where Watson was on 17. But the immortal shot and subsequent birdie on 18 relegated Jack to runner-up.

Ben Hogan was denied his fifth U.S. Open on June 19, 1955, when unheralded Jack Fleck beat him in a playoff, 69-72, at the Olympic Club Lake Course. Fleck played well at the end of regulation to tie Hogan, who had finished ahead of him and seemed secure as the champion. He was so sure, in fact, he gave the USGA's Joe Dey his golf ball after finishing his round and said it was meant to go in the USGA's museum at Golf House.

It's a shame there isn't a player exactly 7 shots back entering the final round of the U.S. Open today at Erin Hills. If so, they could feel karma from today's date in Open history. On June 18, 1960, Arnold Palmer made his famous charge to victory with a 65, having started the final round 7 shots back of the leader Mike Souchak. Arnie boldly drove the green on the first hole, made birdie, and the charge was on, ending in a two-stroke victory over amateur Jack Nicklaus. You can see the view from behind that first hole on the home page; it's the photo used for This Day in U.S. Open Golf.

One of the sweetest swingers of a golf club had his day in the sun on June 17, 1961. Gene Littler shot 72-68 in the final two rounds and beat Bob Goalby and Doug Sanders by one stroke at Oakland Hills. A San Diego native known for his love of classic cars, Littler had nearly won the 1954 U.S. Open at Baltusrol, the year after he had won the U.S. Amateur. Known as Gene the Machine, he was enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Rickie Fowler has the first-round lead after play opened at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills Thursday. He’s looking to win his first major. A player who went down in history as one of the greatest to never win a major, Harry Cooper, was involved in today’s U.S. Open moment. He was in good shape to win the 1927 championship at Oakmont but shot 77 in the final round on June 16 and then lost the next day to Tommy Armour, 76-79, in a playoff.