804.06 B (2) To appeal the group's or an official's ruling. A set of provisional throws may be taken to complete a hole as part of an appeal when the player disagrees with the group decision and an official is not readily available, or if the player wishes to appeal the decision of an official. The scores from both sets of throws shall be recorded. The proper ruling and score are then determined by the Director at the end of the round.
If he was unsure of where to go (apparently he wasn't, but I was arguing based on the idea that he was) and disagreed with the group's decision as to where he should go, he's entitled to play out from both spots, record both scores, and have the TD rule after the fact. That his attempt to do so was interrupted by the arrival of an official that rendered a decision before that process was completed doesn't mean the player wasn't still entitled to that process.