Twelve months ago when they arrived at the Home of Golf for their Alfred Dunhill Cup debut, China's top golfing trio were written off as no-hopers even before they struck a ball in anger.
Although they failed to win any of their three group contests in the world's richest team golf event, Zhang Lian-wei, Wu Xiang-bing and Cheng Jun not only left a lasting impression on their rivals but also on Scottish fans and television viewers around the globe.
'There are no easy games at this level,' said European number one Colin Montgomerie, the Scottish captain, after losing his medal-matchplay showdown with Zhang.
The following day, Wu weighed in by getting the better of Spaniard Jose-Maria Olazabal, who six months later was standing proudly on the 18th green at Augusta, having been crowned US Masters champion for the second time.
News of those victories of Zhang and Wu, considered among the biggest shocks in the Cup's 14-year history, reverberated around the golfing world.
While the lives of Zhang, Wu and Cheng have not changed dramatically in the ensuing 12 months, history will record that it was their gutsy performances that placed China firmly on the golfing map.
However, when they tee-off in the 15th version of the tournament today, the Chinese team can expect precious little charity.