This had been a very good day for Bobby Jones. He rode the streets of New York City in a ticker-tape parade, led by Mayor Jimmy Walker, in his honor.

Friends then celebrated with a dinner — no, a feast for 400 — in his name at a city hotel.

He was about to board a train west for Minnesota and had only two more things to accomplish. Then, he told himself quietly, he would quit, one way or the other. He was only 28 years old.

He began his quest for the Grand Slam of Golf earlier this year, but the idea had come to him four years earlier, in 1926, to try to win the British Open and Amateur and the counterpart events in the United States, all in the same year.

Bobby knew in ’26 that, because of his job, he would not be able to chase this windmill of golf for a couple of years. It required some planning. The only way to Britain was by boat, a slow boat at that, and an extended trip.

In the past, Bobby had not practiced his way into his tournament year, yet he won the U.S. Open in 1923 and 1926 and finished second three other times. Bobby was not only the best golfer of his day, but he was an amateur, which allowed him to pursue his special sequence of events.

He had won the U.S. Amateur four times since 1924, and the idea of winning both U.S. titles again in 1930 was not beyond reason. An early and long trip to England and Scotland was part of this process.

This year, Bobby practiced his way to the Grand Slam. He won the Southeastern Open at Augusta Country Club in April (Augusta National was not even an idea in Bobby’s mind as yet) by an incredible 13 shots, beating the best American professionals.

The Walker Cup matches, pitting American amateurs versus the best of Britain, was next. The biennial event was set for mid-May at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, the perfect warm-up for his British conquest.

Jones and the American team were overwhelming, winning 10 points to 2. The British had pitted their best amateurs against him, and he took two walloping wins.

The British Amateur was played at the seat of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. Bobby trailed in a match only once and defeated Roger Wethered of England, 7 and 6, in the final. He had beaten Wethered, 9 and 8, in the singles matches in the Walker Cup, so this victory was not unexpected of the greatest player of the world.

Bobby celebrated one week in Paris before the British Open, in which he had to play the more dangerous professionals. He tied the course record of 70 in the first round and had 142 at the midway point to lead by one shot.

Professional Archie Compston of England shot a third-round 68 while Jones had 74, and Compston led by one with one round to play. But Archie closed with 82 and Jones with 75, an easy win. Thus the ticker-tape parade.

Before leaving Scotland, Bobby told the world in his own way about his nebulous plans for the future. "This is my last shot at the British Open," he said, and he came home.

Bobby had determined his path in 1926 but planned this series of events in 1929. "I had not played in enough tournaments since 1927 to think about it (winning all four major titles)," he said.

Ten days later, Bobby had another very good day. He sat alone in the upstairs of the clubhouse at Interlachen as he thought about the circumstances that created his week, culminating this day.

Minnesota had been hot, over 100 degrees. Bobby’s opening 71 trailed Mac Smith and Tommy Armour by one.

Because two rounds were played each day of the Open, most competitors played more poorly in the second round. Bobby had a 144 total and was two behind Horton Smith, which did not bother him as much as the fact that 10 players were bunched within five shots of the lead. Any one of these could ruin his plans.

The second day was slightly cooler, and Bobby was on the attack. Despite a bogey-bogey finish, he shot a morning 68 and led Lighthorse Harry Cooper by five.

Then, more typical of his earlier finishes in U.S. Opens, Bobby had trouble in the final round. He started with 4-5-5, three over par.

Even worse, he lost four of his seven-shot margin over Mac Smith. Bobby double-bogeyed the 13th hole but recovered with birdies at the 14th and 16th holes, putting him three shots ahead.

Then he double-bogeyed the tough 17th hole, a 262-yard par-3; and he could have made much more. His tee shot, pushed badly to the right, was nowhere in sight. Jones asked his referee, Prescott Bush, grandfather of former President George Bush, for a ruling.

Bush decreed that Bobby’s ball had gone into a nearby water hazard and that Bobby would not have to return to the tee to play his next shot. The ruling was, kindly stated, a liberal interpretation.

Bobby settled things with a 40-foot birdie putt on the home hole to beat Mac Smith by two.

Only one leg of his Grand Slam to go. Overlooking the Interlachen grounds, Jones determined that, win or lose, in the U.S. Amateur, he would give up competitive golf after that championship. At age 28. At the top of his game.

He already had won all the biggest championships in the world and beat all the best players.

Maybe more important was the pressure he felt when competing.

Surely this was self-imposed. Bobby had high expectations of himself as a golfer, lawyer and businessman. He had begun golf at a very early age and had been a child wonder. He knew he should win everything he entered. Over time, he had done just that, but each win took a great deal from him. He would end his run very soon.

Jones won the U.S. Amateur two and a half months later at the Merion Cricket Club, beating Eugene Homans, 8 and 7, in the final match. Bobby’s smallest victory margin was 5 and 4.

He accomplished what no golfer had done before nor has completed since, the Grand Slam of his era. In an adult career that spanned less than a decade, he won four U.S. Opens, a total no one has beaten, and five U.S. Amateurs.

He won both British Opens he had entered. No one would ever dominate golf like he did.

And then he quit.