Gurgaon: Rank outsider Ranjit Singh stole the limelight from the title favourites with a six-under 66 on the opening day of the Rs 65 lakh DLF Masters golf tournament here on Thursday.

The typically happy-go-lucky Sikh was in rampaging form at the DLF Golf and Country Club, making eight birdies and only two bogeys to take a two-stroke lead over the competition.

Drawcard Jyoti Randhawa also had an impressive 68 to share second place with Australian Richard Backwell.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Ashok Kumar, however, had a disastrous outing and returned a three-over par 75.

Gaurav Ghei, the veteran returning to winning ways with the triumph at the Pine Valley Beijing Open, had a steady even-par 72.

The duo of C. Muniyappa and Gaurav Diwan were in tied fourth place at three-under followed a stroke further down by a bunch of five players that included Mukesh Kumar.

Shiv Kapur, who is returning from a month-long lay-off to rehabilitate a back injury, was even par.