Yes.
13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play
A player must not improve or allow to be improved:
· the position or lie of his ball,
· the area of his intended
stance
or swing,
· his
line of play
or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the
hole
, or
· the area in which he is to drop or place a ball,
by any of the following actions:
·
pressing a club on the ground
,
· moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable
obstructions
and objects defining
out of bounds
),
· creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
· removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
· removing dew, frost or water.
(Emphasis in blue is mine)
He was giving himself an alignment aid / aiming point on every approach shot. Therefore, he was improving his lie.
You can step behind or hit the ground with your club on the tee, but not after.