FARR WEST — Take one glance at Jace Nielsen warming up on the putting green and you’d hardly begin to understand the Fremont High senior’s long road to where he is now.

It might seem like a fundamental practice for your average golfer to spend half an hour sharpening his or her short game before a round. For Nielsen, however, every stroke represents an internal battle — a battle he’s fought, and won, since he was 6 years old.

Simply put, the odds were heavily weighed against Nielsen from birth.

As described by his father, Casey, Jace was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and had his lung punctured when they suctioned his lungs immediately following delivery. Jace is considered a “miracle” by his family.

“He laid like a fish out of water trying to breathe as he struggled for air,” Casey Nielsen said.

Three years later, Jace was medically diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a rare disorder affecting movement, muscle tone and posture. Less than 200,000 cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S.

Golf emerged within Nielsen’s journey between his fifth and sixth birthday. He’d first pick up a club at the direction of his grandfather, Trent, who encouraged the sport’s potential to help Jace manage his condition and stay active.

Jace, recalling his first impression of the game, took to the physical challenge right away — albeit with more than a few high rounds. It wasn’t long before the Nielsen family was regularly watching tournaments on television, with Jace taking a liking for the games of pros Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.

“He found this game for me,” Jace Nielsen said. “I felt like I could hit the ball. I felt good about it … I remember shooting really high and just trying to hit the ball straight.”

With time, Nielsen showed promise even at a young age.

Things soon blossomed when Nielsen was introduced to Al Haag of Farr West. A seasoned instructor, Haag helped Nielsen build his game to a point where his condition morphed into what his father considers a “superpower.”

Nielsen slowly overcame his physical limitations to swing the club and, simultaneously, began locking in his form and precision for the long haul. Today, Haag considers Jace’s swing to be the most “grooved and consistent” motion he’s ever seen.

Under Haag’s direction, Nielsen pushed beyond his condition.

“He helped me enjoy the game of golf,” Jace Nielsen said. “Just like the physical and mental (parts) about golf. I became really good at that. … It’s more of a mental (game) for me now, but I feel like probably two years ago it was more a physical (battle) for me.”

In a matter of years, Nielsen positioned himself well in multiple state junior tournaments and later climbed his way onto the varsity roster at Fremont High. In his first varsity outing at Remuda Golf Course, Nielsen shot a personal best of 4-under during a round full of nerves.

Later last spring, Nielsen hit a 6-million-to-1 shot, carding an albatross on hole No. 2 (par 4) at Riverside Golf Course in Riverdale.

“We’ve been working on not worrying about the result as much and just hitting the next shot,” Casey Nielsen said.

“If you go out of bounds, what’s the next best shot you can hit, versus, ‘Oh no, my round’s falling apart,” he continued. “That’s a hard thing when you’re in a competitive high school golf environment where everyone wants to score good for their school.”

Heading into the summer, Jace and his grandfather charted each of his upcoming tournaments slated for his senior season. The pair circled Riverbend Golf Course, the state tournament site just south of Salt Lake City in Riverton, as a must.

Through five rounds of Region 1 play, Nielsen currently sits third in the Fremont lineup following a 2-under finish — placing sixth individually among 47 players — at The Barn Golf Course in Pleasant View.

Monday, Nielsen captured another 2-under round at Bountiful Ridge. He opened the day with four consecutive birdies before running into a bit of trouble in the middle of his card. Recalling the round, Casey pointed to the back-nine as a key test of Jace’s composure.

“That’s where it’s hard mentally to stay positive,” Casey Nielsen said. “In the back end, he was able to birdie another hole after losing a few strokes so he ended up 2-under for the day. Inside he’s a little discouraged because he knows he could’ve shot better that day, but still proud because he battled back and stayed under par.”

“Golf is positive, you have your ups and downs,” Jace Nielsen added.

With just two weeks until the 6A state tournament tees off, Nielsen is swinging the club the same way he always has. Staring down graduation day, Nielsen has serious aspirations to continue his game at the college level.

Until then, Nielsen is trusting his instincts. After all, he wouldn’t be on the links without them.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.