The two top players from this tournament then played a best-of-five game final to decide who would be World Scrabble Champion 1997.
Prize money was provided by the Milton Bradley Company, owned by the tournament's sponsor Hasbro, to a total value of $50,100.
Graham took the first game of the finals 409-334 but lost a 387-363 squeaker in the second after missing BOWNED.
In game four, Sherman got off to a big lead and began shutting down the board.
Sherman won the game and was crowned World Scrabble Champion, after losing in the final two years earlier.