Two weeks ago, Roberto Castro walked out of the scorer’s tent at the CareerBuilder Challenge after signing for a final-round 73. It was his worst score of the week -- but then he got some good news. His beloved Atlanta Falcons were leading the NFC Championship, 10-0.

He then headed to the clubhouse for lunch. More good news. Quarterback Matt Ryan had just scored to extend the Falcons’ lead.

Castro eventually settled in front of a TV and ultimately had something to celebrate that Sunday evening. His Falcons had beaten Green Bay, 44-21, to reach the Super Bowl for just the second time in club history.

“My little brother was at the game and he kept sending me pictures,” Castro said. “He said it was incredible.”

Castro was 12 the last time the Falcons reached the Super Bowl in 1999. His family had recently moved to Atlanta and quickly got caught up in the hoopla. “That was the year of the Dirty Birds,” he recalled.

He went to a neighbor’s house and watched the game, a 34-19 loss to John Elway’s Broncos. Now the Falcons face another legendary quarterback, Tom Brady, and his New England Patriots.

For Pats fans such as Keegan Bradley, this Super Bowl thing is old hat. But for Falcons fans such as Castro and Stewart Cink, it’s rarefied air. The fact that this unexpected run happened in Atlanta’s last season at the Georgia Dome makes it even more special.

“It's been fun,” Castro said. “It's a fun stadium. It's pretty amazing how it turned out.”

“They can certainly hang with the Patriots,” Cink added. “It's going to be a lot of fun.”

Assuming he makes the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Sunday, Castro will find himself in a stadium of another sort at the same time the Falcons undergo final preparations for their 6:30 p.m. ET start against the Patriots.

The cheers will certainly be deafening as Castro makes his way to the 16th tee at TPC Scottsdale where 20,000 fans await. And make no mistake -- he’ll make his loyalties known by wearing one of three Falcons caps he ordered last week.

Billed as the “Greatest Show on Grass,” the Waste Management Phoenix Open is almost always played on Super Bowl weekend, which can create some interesting predicaments.

A late tee time means any player with a rooting interest in the Super Bowl needs a game plan for after he signs his scorecard. Watch in a sports bar? Go back to the hotel?

It’s a nice problem to have because it means you’re in contention on Sunday.

Take Mark Wilson, cheesehead and all. The devout Packers fan played until dark that Sunday in 2011 after the WMPO endured a series of frost delays. He was two strokes ahead when play was called as he stood over a putt on the 13th hole.

The Super Bowl was already on TV as Wilson finished his media commitments and got his son ready for bed. Only after a fourth-quarter game of Candyland could Wilson concentrate on the Packer’s final two minutes in the 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“This doesn’t happen every year – the Packers in the Super Bowl,” Wilson said at the time. “We watched that last stand, and I was happy that they somehow pulled it off.”

Just like Wilson did the following day when he beat Jason Dufner in a playoff.

Cink, the long-time Atlanta resident, won’t have any last-minute decisions to make about where to watch the game. He’ll be at home hosting his church group, and on the menu are the trademark ribs that the master griller has perfected.

About the time Castro and his family moved to the ATL, Cink was getting to know a couple of the Falcons’ defensive backs – Ray Buchanan and Ashley Ambrose – who lived in his neighborhood. Now he and Castro both count Ryan among their friends.

Ryan is among the front-runners for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. But the veteran, who has passed for more than 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns this year, is equally proficient in golf, as both PGA TOUR members can attest from charity events and outings. Ryan plays to a plus 1.2 handicap, according to Golf Digest’s most recent compilation of celebrity and athlete handicaps. Conversely, Brady is an 8.

“He’s a golf nut,” Castro said of Ryan. “He’d be a great partner at (the AT&T) Pebble (Beach Pro-Am).”

Or a great caddy for the Par 3 Contest at the Masters. Ryan already has experience there – he looped for Cink in 2012, even shedding the white overalls to hit a shot on the ninth hole.

“I hit a 52(-degree wedge) about 160 yards," Ryan said at the time. "I hit it way too far to the right. Luckily he still let me putt it and I got to redeem myself. I made the putt."

Both Castro and Cink think the Falcons have a good chance against the Patriots, who are playing in a record ninth Super Bowl. Neither plans to make any bets, though – “every time I ever bet, emotionally, I lose,” said Cink, who likely engaged in some trash-talking with uber Pats fan Bradley when the two played together last week.

“It's just going to be a question of if (the Falcons) can keep on believing,” Cink said, “because they're playing in the Super Bowl, they're playing against Tom Brady and (Bill) Belichick and all that. We'll be watching.”

And should the Falcons win? Well, that would be transformative for the ATL, not unlike the Chicago Cubs’ World Series title earlier this year.

“You know, Atlanta gets a bad rap for not being a great sports town because you have so many transplants from other cities, so everybody has their allegiances,” Castro said. “But … the few people that grew up in Atlanta and have stayed there are really big supporters of their teams.

“Braves won in '95, and that's our only title. I think it would be huge. It would be huge.”

Beyond The Ropes is PGA TOUR Digital’s new weekly column focusing on lifestyle stories and features in the world of golf. If you have a story suggestion, please email Helen Ross at helenross@pgatourmail.com