AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Attending the Masters for the first time was a new experience for Thomas Abraham, and it wasn't just about the golf.
The 16-year-old from Houston had the rare opportunity to use a public telephone for the first time.
“It was kind of cool,” said Abraham, who phoned a friend while attending the Masters Par 3 competition on Wednesday with his father, Sid. “I've never used one before. I figured it out. If I had to use one of those (rotary) phones I probably would've had to ask my dad.”
Augusta National requires its patrons to leave their cellphones and other electronic devices behind. In place of those security blankets, there are several public telephone banks of those throwback devices from days gone by. They are a foreign sight for many in the younger generation who've never seen a phone with an attached cord.
Abraham is not unlike most teenagers — or adults, for that matter — who are very much attached to the world through their cellphones.
At some point, chances are, patrons check for their phone — patting their pockets, reaching for the clip on their belts, wherever it usually is.
And when they can't find it, well...
“It's kind of panic mode," Abraham said. "We were at 18th (hole) and I went to reach in my pocket and it wasn't there. Then I remembered it's in the car."
He wasn't alone.
"I've checked my pockets for my phone no less than 10 times today," said Ryan O'Connor from Little Rock, Arkansas. “I was sitting in the bleachers on the 16th green and someone dropped a water bottle and it made a loud noise and I instinctively reached for my phone. Not there."
The line at the public phone bank can stretch up to 10 people deep at the height of the Masters. And while they provide an outlet for those looking to touch base with the world outside of Augusta National's gates, there are some issues that come with them.
Like, remembering phone numbers.
Bill Kehoe, 50, from Raleigh, North Carolina came prepared.
As he approached the public phones, Kehoe whipped out a sheet of paper with a handful of names and numbers written on them with a black Sharpie. He picked up the receiver on the phone, punched in the number “1” to start the call and then looked down at the paper and entered the remaining numbers to complete the free call.
“I can’t even remember my own phone number, let alone anyone else’s number,” Kehoe joked. “They're all saved in my phone.”
One of the calls he made was to his 14-year-old son Connor, who was on a school fieldtrip to Washington. D.C.
Connor had asked his dad to call at a prearranged time while he was on a bus, and his 8th grade classmates were shocked when his caller ID popped popped up as “Augusta National Golf Club.”
“You could hear all of the kids like, ‘Oh, that’s so cool!,” Kehoe said with a laugh. "But then they all started asking for merchandise so I had to hang up.”
The reasons patrons disrupt their round of watching professional golf to make a call.
One person was calling to hear about the day's dramatic movement in the stock market. Another said he was checking in with work. And several others were simply touching base with family or loved ones.
Tyler Johnson and his wife Lauren called home to Roswell, Georgia to check on their 5-year-old son, who is staying with his grandparents, "just to make sure there's no blood,” Tyler said with a laugh. As mom and dad alternated talking to their son, they took pictures of each other talking on the odd-looking black public phone.
"I think the last time I used one of these was 1999, before Y2K, I think," Tyler joked.
While not having a cellphone is an inconvenience for some, others have come to relish the liberating feeling of being disconnected from the world for a little while.
Fletcher Lord from Little Rock texted his wife after he arrived at the course around 6 a.m. and reminded her not to expect to hear from him all day. He then set out to enjoy a few refreshments on a sunny, 70-degree day amid the serene backdrop of blooming azaleas and tall pines.
“Once you get over the anxiety of not having your phone, it's a very freeing feeling because it forces you to just be here in the moment," Lord said.
O'Connor agreed.
He phoned one of his old friends from high school just to see if he'd pick up. He did.
“He didn't recognize the number obviously, but when he saw Augusta National pop up he said I better pick this one up,” O'Connor said.
Then it was off to enjoy the day.
“Is not having a phone a pain?" O'Connor said. "No, I think it's actually good for me. Those emails will be there when I get back home.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Patrons line up to use courtesy phones during a practice around at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Patrons line up to use courtesy phones during a practice around at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
A patron uses the courtesy phones during a practice around at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Patrons line up to use courtesy phones during a practice around at the Masters golf tournament, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Drones attacked a vessel carrying aid to Gaza on Friday in international waters off Malta, the group organizing the shipment said, in the latest confrontation over efforts to send assistance to the Palestinian territory devastated by nearly 19 months of war.
A nearby tugboat responded to a distress call from the Conscience, which authorities said experienced a fire that was brought under control. The vessel was carrying 12 crew members and four civilians, the Maltese government said, adding that those aboard refused to leave the ship. The group was safe and no serious injuries were reported, it said.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of attacking its ship. The group did not provide evidence for that claim or to show that the fire was caused by drones, but in a video it shared an explosion could be heard. Another video showed a fire blazing.
The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment. Israel has cut off Gaza from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March, leading to what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the war with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.
Mecid Bagcivan, an activist from Turkey who was aboard the Conscience, was getting ready for bed when two explosions rocked the ship about two minutes apart, he said. At first it seemed there had been a collision. Then the crew saw fire and realized it was an attack, Bagcivan told The Associated Press.
As the crew radioed Malta for help, Bagcivan said someone impersonated them on the same channel saying help was no longer needed. Those on board scrambled to fight the fire on their own, leaving some with minor injuries, he said. Help later arrived, and after hours the fire was extinguished.
The ship was trying to reenter Maltese waters amid fears of a second attack, according to a statement from the crew.
“We feel like right now we’re safe, but we don’t know what Israel is going to do,” Bagcivan said. “We can’t trust no one in this situation after we get bombed in the middle of the night.”
Video taken after the explosions showed two large holes in the ship's deck, with thick smoke surrounding the vessel. The person recording the footage said the ship had been hit twice and was on fire about 14 miles from Malta. The video was provided by Codepink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement.
The ship's generator was badly damaged and will need to be repaired before continuing, said Charlie Andreasson, who has been involved with the Freedom Flotilla for more than a decade.
It's unclear where the ship will be able to stop for repairs, said Tighe Barry, a Codepink member who was among a group of activists who took speedboats to the Conscience after the attack. The boats were turned away by Maltese authorities, he said, but one person made it aboard and spoke to the captain.
Barry said the nation of Palau revoked its flag from the Conscience prior to the attack, and authorities in Malta, Greece and Turkey have threatened to confiscate the ship if it comes to port. Barry said the ship is loaded with medicine and food supplies.
“To get a new flag will take months, so they're just stuck out there,” Barry said of the crew.
Israel says the blockade is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages it took during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the conflict. Hamas-led militants assaulted southern Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel’s bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of the territory and left most of its population homeless.
When an aid flotilla attempted to break a blockade of Gaza in 2010, Israeli forces stormed a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, killing nine people on board.
On Friday, the Conscience was hit about 16 miles (26 kilometers) from Malta, according to the Freedom Flotilla.
Photos provided by Cypriot authorities showed the ship with damage to its side.
According to the ship-monitoring website Marine Traffic, the Conscience left the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Tuesday and arrived Thursday morning in the area where it reported being attacked.
Volunteers who had traveled to Malta were meant to board the ship to go to Gaza, the group said. Andreasson said climate activist Greta Thunberg was supposed to have participated. The organization said Thunberg did not board and was safe.
The ship's 12 crew members are from Turkey and Azerbaijan, said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink.
Turkey condemned the attack and pledged to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The assault “threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security in international waters,” Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said in a statement posted on the X social media platform.
The attack happened as aid groups have warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday that it will not have access to food, medicine and life-saving supplies needed for many of its Gaza programs if aid deliveries don’t resume immediately.
Programs at risk include “common kitchens” that often give residents the only meal they receive each day and could be forced to halt operations in a few weeks, the ICRC said.
“Aid must be allowed to enter Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected,” the committee said. “Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate.”
Brito contributed from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Giada Zampano in Rome; Kevin Schembri Orland in St. Julian’s, Malta; Colleen Barry in Soave, Italy; Elena Becatoros and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; Jon Gambrell in Dubai; and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
FILE.- Palestinians wait for donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana,File)
FILE.- A Palestinian girl struggles as she and others try to get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana,File)
Palestinians wait to get food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip, Thursday April 24, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian children struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday April 24, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
In this photo provided by the Government of Cyprus, a fire burns on the ship The Conscience, after a drone struck the vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast of Malta, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Government of Cyprus via AP)
This photo provided by the Goverment of Cyprus and taken from the EDT ship AEOLUS shows The Conscience, after a drone struck the vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast of Malta, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Government of Cyprus via AP)
A firefighting-equipped tug boat, left, contacted by the Malta Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) helps controlling a fire occurred on the bow of the Conscience vessel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Malta Vessel Traffic Services via AP)
