THE HOT CORNER

1 GOLF: James Morrison shot a course-record 10-under 60 to lead by three strokes after the first round of the European Masters on Thursday. Starting in the first group at 7:40 a.m. at the scenic Crans-sur-sierre club, the 36-year-old Englishman set a target no one could match on a sun-bathed day high in the Swiss Alps.

PRO HOCKEY: The Carolina

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Hurricanes have agreed to terms with forward Andrei Svechnikov on an eight-year contract, which is set to keep the No. 2 overall draft pick from 2018 with the franchise through the 2028-29 season. The team said Thursday the deal will pay the 21-year-old Svechnikov an average annual value of $7.75 million per season.

PRO HOCKEY: The Philadelphia 3

Flyers signed No. 1 center Sean Couturier to an eight-year contract extension worth $62 million. Couturier counts $7.75 million against the salary cap with his contract that begins after next season and runs through 202930.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL:

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Forward Jo Smith transferred to Seton Hall from Chipola College in Florida and will be eligible to play this season. Coach Kevin Willard announced Thursday that Smith had signed a grant-in-aid offer. Smith, who is from Selma, Alabama, played in 24 games last season with three starts and shot 65.9% from the floor.

TENNIS: Novak Djokovic will begin 5 his bid to win the U.S. Open for a men’s-record 21st major tennis championship and to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by facing a player who comes through qualifying. Win that, and Djokovic’s potential path — as determined by Thursday’s draw — could include 2014 finalist Kei Nishikori in the third round, No. 6 seed Matteo Berretini in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Alexander Zverev, the 2020 runner-up in New York, in the semifinals.